End Market Analysis of Kenyan Livestock and Meat: A Desk Study

This microREPORT analyzes the domestic and export markets, channels and competitors for Kenyan livestock and meat.

Kenyans consume an average of 15-16 kg of red meat (meat and offal from cattle, sheep, goats and camels) per capita annually, for a national total of approximately 600,000 MT of red meat per year. Cattle are the most important source of red meat, accounting for 77 percent of Kenya’s ruminant off-take for slaughter. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of the red meat consumed in Kenya comes from livestock that are raised by pastoralists, with the remainder coming from highland cattle. While Kenyan pastoralists account for the majority of Kenya’s meat supply (approximately 60 to 65 percent of the total), a significant portion (20 to 25 percent) comes from livestock raised in neighboring countries with significant livestock populations (Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda), making Kenya a meat deficit country.