The indigenous cattle population of Kenya is of the thoracic humped type, commonly referred to as the Small and Large East African Shorthorn Zebu (Bos indicus). This population is important for the subsistence and economic development of the country in that it provides essential food products, draft power and manure, and sustains employment and income for the majority of Kenyans living in rural areas. The indigenous breeds constitute 77% of the total cattle population (the rest being exotic breeds and their crosses) and are represented in virtually all agro-ecological zones (MoA 1993). The highest concentration of these breeds is in the arid and semi-arid lands, which constitute approximately 80% of the Kenyan landmass. These breeds are able to survive and reproduce under the harsh climatic, nutritional and management conditions that characterise the arid and semi-arid lands, and hence their popularity among resource poor farmers.
Like the majority of indigenous African animal genetic resources, the Kenyan zebu breeds are currently at risk of extinction. Several factors underlie this trend, some of which are driven by the lack of economic competitiveness of the Kenyan zebu breeds, e.g. indiscriminate cross-breeding, replacement with exotic breeds, uncontrolled introgression and interbreeding, and the absence of breed development programmes. Other factors include an increase in size of the human population that has led to a reduction in the amount of land available for livestock grazing, neglect of traditional livestock production systems, famine and civil conflict, and cattle rustling and livestock disease epidemics. It has been argued that the introduction of some reproductive technologies, particularly artificial insemination, makes indigenous breeds vulnerable to genetic erosion of the special reservoir of adaptive genes for tolerance/resistance to extreme environments, parasites and diseases. Rege (1999) gave examples of indigenous African cattle that are endangered due to the impact of upgrading with exotic breeds and deliberate neglect. Considering their importance and endangered status, immediate steps must be taken to conserve these indigenous breeds for use by both present and future generations (FAO/UNEP 1995).
Despite the increasing genetic erosion of the indigenous Kenyan cattle populations and the urgent need for their conservation, information about their genetic uniqueness is completely lacking. These cattle have not been well defined, classified or studied adequately in the past. There is not even information on the number and population sizes of breeds/strains. Often populations bear the names of communities that own them and/or locations in which they are found, and the distinction between various populations is not clear. Additionally, information on phenotypic (including performance figures and adaptive attributes) and genetic/molecular characteristics, is either completely lacking or incomplete for the majority of indigenous breeds. This information is required before appropriate strategies for long-term maintenance and use of these breeds is formulated.
This report is based on two preliminary research reports that characterised the indigenous Kenyan zebu breeds at the phenotypic and molecular levels. Phenotypic characterisation involves comparison of breeds with respect to the mean and the phenotypic variance of their performance and characteristics; in contrast, the molecular description is based on analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is considered more reliable, since it is based on precise genotypic information. The results of these research reports are presented in Chapters 3 and 4.
Chapter 1 of this monograph includes background information on African cattle, but focuses on East African zebu breeds with particular emphasis on Kenyan zebu cattle breeds/strains. Based on this information, Chapter 5 discusses the issue of possible breeding strategies for the relevant production systems, taking into account priority traits, farmers’ needs and constraints, available infrastructure and considerations of sustainable utilisation of indigenous genetic resources.
