Mifugo Complex, September 2, 2026
(Public Communication and Media Relations)

The Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Allan Azegele, has announced plans to upgrade Turkana County Veterinary Laboratory into a Rabies Centre of Excellence to strengthen surveillance and eradication of rabies and hydatidosis across the region.

Dr Azegele disclosed this after touring the county to familiarize himself with ongoing national programmes in Turkana and assess projects by Kenya Women Veterinary Association in the last five years.

“My visit to Turkana is critical to assess ongoing projects by national government and KWVA. I am also keen to understand the county’s level of El-Nino preparedness and align it with national government programming on El-Nino interventions,” said Dr Azengele.

On the Turkana veterinary investigations laboratory, he said, the government intents to upgrade it to a Level Two diagnostic facility to serve three neighbouring counties and bordering countries such as Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia, giving it regional status.

After reviewing the lab network established in Turkana, which is now partly operational, the facility would be accredited to analyze specific tests of common diseases such as Pestes Petitis des Ruminantes (PPR), CCPP, Rabies and Hydatidosis. It will then be aligned with the national laboratory network for easy management.

He said the move will ensure government surveillance programmes are well coordinated and all the laboratory’s capacity for the region is fully utilized..

He spoke after inspecting the ongoing three-day campaign to eradicate rabies and hydatidosis from Turkana County.

Chief Officer for Livestock Development Peter Ikaru thanked the Director for visiting Turkana to discuss livestock development matters.

“We are happy you found time to visit Turkana. We assure you the county will work closely with national government on the ongoing and future programmes,” said Ikaru.

He added that the county is aware of plans by national government to revive Turkana Tannery and Lomidat Abattoir to transform the livestock activities into commercial enterprise

Afterwards, the Director and his team planted trees at the Laboratory compound to promote environmental conservation. He later toured the bacteriology, cold chain and sterilization, parasitology, serology, hematology and post-mortem sections.