Stakeholders from Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, and Homabay counties attended a public participation exercise on the proposed Animal Identification and Traceability (ANITRAC) Bill 2026 at a hotel in Kisii town.
The Animal Identification and Traceability (ANITRAC) Bill 2026 aims to revolutionize Kenya’s livestock sector through a modern, data-driven system focusing on farmer empowerment, disease control, and access to international markets.
Currently in the public participation phase, the proposed law intends to establish a comprehensive framework for animal identification, registration, and traceability while enhancing surveillance, control, and eradication of livestock diseases.
It is also expected to improve quality and safety for animals and animal products, and increase producer access to credit and animal insurance facilities using animals as collateral.
According to the bill, the proposed ANITRAC system will support applying identification devices on animals individually or in batches, electronic transcription of identification codes using readers, and transmission devices to upload information to a central database.
A central database will be established for managing the ANITRAC system, with the animal identification and traceability database capturing prescribed animal identification information.
The system will be designated as critical information infrastructure and accorded necessary safeguards to ensure protection from internal and external threats.
The government began piloting the ANITRAC system on government farms in May 2025, with full implementation planned for April 2026, supported by the proposed ANITRAC Bill 2026.
Based at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the implementation of the proposed regulation will be coordinated by the Cabinet Secretary, Director of Veterinary Services, county governments, and the County Director of Veterinary Services.
The Cabinet Secretary will mobilize resources, provide policy direction, and formulate the National Animal Identification and Traceability Strategy.
The Director of Veterinary Services will act as the competent authority for applying animal identification and traceability guidelines, ratified treaties and conventions, and standards on animal identification and traceability under this Act.
County governments will also be expected to develop county policies on animal identification and traceability, implement strategies at the county level, mobilize resources for the Act’s implementation at the county, and oversee integration of county systems into the National ANITRAC System.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Kenya National Livestock Research Agenda (2025-2035) indicate that the country’s livestock sub-sector contributes to 42 percent of the agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) and 12 percent to the national GDP, while accounting for over 30 percent of the total marketed agricultural products.
The new bill aims to boost the livestock sector by ensuring ANITRAC provides farm-to-fork traceability to verify health and origin and meet international trade requirements.
Currently, Kenya is required to comply with Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) standards while exporting meat and live animals to lucrative markets like the Middle East, European Union, and the United States.
Speaking during a public participation exercise for stakeholders from Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, and Homabay counties in Kisii town, Senior Deputy Director for Livestock Policy, Research and Regulations at the State Department for Livestock Development, Dr. William Akwimbi said the bill will enable farmers to leverage new technologies to identify and register their livestock and enhance access to international markets.
“This ANITRAC bill is a further development of the Branding Act which has been overtaken by events and will use new technologies to track any animal as it moves around,” noted Dr. Akwimbi.
The Deputy Director pointed out that the system will also allow for rapid tracing of animals in case of disease outbreaks and prevent the spread of trans-boundary diseases.
He added that digital tracking will ensure farmers monitor their livestock in real-time, making it easier to recover stolen or lost animals.
The Department’s Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Allan Kimutai affirmed that they had successfully piloted the ANITRAC system in seven government farms and were now rolling it out to six targeted counties.
“We have done sensitization to the local administration, the County Executive Committee Members, and the chief officers, and also conducted training to the County Directors of Livestock Production and Veterinary Services who will be the trainers of trainers to carry out the training in the counties,” noted Dr. Kimutai.
According to him, the system will use radio frequency identification devices (RFID), with the left ear displaying a visual tag and the right ear having an RFID microchip with a button ear tag that can be read to identify an animal.
Additionally, the Director noted the system will be provided to farmers free of charge over the next five years to ensure all animals are identified, tagged and registered.