Animal Health and Range Management

Diploma holders in Animal Health and Range Management are important in the animal resource industry as they form a link between the front-line personnel and managers in the provision of animal health and range management services. In Kenya, the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) occupy more than 80 percent of the country, hold over 60% of livestock, and are home to over 10 million people. About 90% of the ASAL population directly depends on livestock. Despite their high development potential, the ASALs have the lowest development indicators and highest poverty incidence in Kenya.

The ASALs have serious challenges with regard to animal resources. Reinforcing these challenges is a cycle involving environmental degradation, insecurity, climate shocks, diseases, and general despondency. Other constraints include feed shortage, marketing of animals and animal products, lack of credit, threats to biodiversity, and invasion by foreign species. The need to build capacities for livestock production, management, and disease control in rangelands, through training is necessary since well-understood and well-rehearsed procedures, executed by competent, adequately equipped staff constitute some of the best responses to production and management constraints in the ASALs.

The Diploma in Animal Health and Range Management is designed to equip candidates with the necessary skills that will allow them to address livestock health and management problems from a multi-disciplinary point of view with emphasis on the ASALs. The Programme will draw candidates from practicing animal health technicians and form four graduates.