Fresh hope rekindled among residents of Samburu East sub-county as they received 109 Somali breed camels to strengthen their resilience against shocks posed by climate change.

Speaking during the distribution exercise at Golgotim village on Friday, Samburu County Governor Lati Lelelit said the camel is a source of livelihood for many pastoral families in Samburu County because of its high milk yield and ability to thrive in arid conditions.

Lelelit noted that the camel directly targets nutritional gaps at household level and income instability worsened by recurring drought.

“This is more than livestock support because every camel distributed is a classroom for our children, a pharmacy for our elders and a bank for our families. This is how we fight poverty and build dignity for our people,” he said.

The governor said that the programme now heads to Wamba North Ward, where additional 50 camels will be handed over to households selected through community vetting.

County Chief Officer for Livestock Production and Animal Health Saiwana Lekerpes said all the animals were vetted, vaccinated and certified before distribution to ensure community impact.

Lekerpes noted that the project is part of a broader climate-smart livelihood strategy of distributing 1,000 camels to vulnerable households every financial year.

The Samburu County government described the programme as a part of its commitment to “delivering livelihoods that last” for pastoral communities facing climate and economic pressures.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Robert Githu