Milking buffaloes: Govt explains process before Kenyan farmers can keep the animals

The government will first import Indian Murrah water buffaloes for research at public farms before allowing private farmers to access the animals, as Kenya explores alternative sources of milk, meat and leather.

Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke says the initial imports will help the government establish the animals’ feeding requirements, behaviour and husbandry needs under Kenyan conditions before a wider rollout.

Speaking during a television interview on Tuesday, October 13, PS Mueke said the government is preparing to purchase the animals after completing the sanitary requirements for importing them from India.

He added that nearly 800 farmers had already placed orders expressing interest in acquiring the buffaloes.

“What we've agreed to do is just for research purposes, we will import as a government first for our government farms, especially our genetics organization, KAGRC (the Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre), that deals with animal genetics,” Mueke said.

According to the Principal Secretary, the government would use the initial phase to understand the animals’ management requirements before importing them for private farmers.

Mueke further clarified that the proposed imports are not Kenya’s wild buffaloes found in national parks but the domesticated water buffalo, specifically the Murrah breed from India.

The government plans to begin by placing the animals at public research farms, including facilities associated with KAGRC, which the PS identified as an organisation dealing with animal genetics.

The research phase will examine animal husbandry, feeding patterns and temperament. These findings are expected to inform decisions on how the animals can be kept and managed by Kenyan farmers.

The PS said the government hoped to have a few buffaloes in the country by the end of 2026.

However, he did not provide a specific date for when private farmers would begin receiving the animals or explain how the nearly 800 interested farmers would be prioritised.

The government’s approach follows President William Ruto’s announcement that Kenya was considering water buffalo farming as part of efforts to increase milk production and diversify livestock farming.

According to Mueke, the Murrah buffalo produces milk with a high butterfat content, which he said can be almost three times that of ordinary cow’s milk.

The higher butterfat content could support the production of value-added dairy products, including butter, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream and chocolate, as well as milk for other uses.

Also, the government is interested in the breed’s potential for meat and leather production.

Mueke acknowledged that buffalo meat could be tougher than conventional beef in Kenya but described it as lean, with relatively little fat.

He also said the animals’ larger hides could be useful to the leather industry, particularly for products requiring large pieces of leather, such as sofa coverings and carpets.

At the same time, PS Mueke said Kenya had already completed the sanitary requirements necessary to import the buffaloes from India.

He explained that the government had worked with veterinary officers in both countries to assess whether the animals’ meat and milk were safe for human consumption.

The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture gazetted the water buffalo as a food item in January 2025, according to the PS.

That step enabled the government to recognise the animal’s meat and milk for consumption, while the subsequent sanitary processes addressed the requirements for importing food-related products and animals from another country.

Mueke said the remaining step was to purchase the animals, with the government planning to facilitate a government-to-government arrangement with India.

He said the proposed imports would support the production of milk, meat and leather, although the initial research phase would establish how the breed could be managed locally.

The introduction of buffaloes comes as Kenyan dairy farmers face challenges associated with feed shortages and drought.

Mueke argued that water buffaloes were more resilient than ordinary dairy cows under harsh conditions and had better feed conversion.

“These buffaloes are a little more hardy than your normal dairy cow. So, it will be able to survive in harsh conditions,” he said.

He added that India had climatic conditions similar to Kenya’s, which the government considered an advantage when assessing the breed’s suitability.

However, the PS did not provide specific figures comparing the buffaloes’ feed consumption, milk yields or water requirements with those of Kenyan dairy cattle.

The planned research phase is expected to help the government understand their feeding patterns and husbandry needs in the local environment.