Kagwe orders yellow tags for every cow, sheep and goat in plan to curb livestock theft

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe during the official opening of the Central Kenya National Show 2026 in Nyeri/COURTESY ‎

‎Every cow, sheep and goat in Kenya will be required to carry an Animal Identification and Traceability (ANITRAC) tag as the government steps up efforts to curb cattle rustling and improve livestock disease surveillance.

‎Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the technology would give every animal a unique identity, making it easier to trace livestock along the value chain and difficult for stolen animals to be moved or sold without detection.

‎Kagwe said every cow would be fitted with a distinctive yellow ANITRAC ear tag, warning livestock thieves against attempts to remove the identifiers.

‎He said people found with animals whose ears had been cut off to remove the tags should explain themselves to the police.