Marsabit Community Backs JKUAT, Copenhagen Research to Boost Pastoralist Livelihoods
Marsabit’s pastoralist community has welcomed research spearheaded by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), the University of Copenhagen and other partners to tackle the growing effects of climate change on livestock, milk production, food safety and household incomes. Residents involved in the dairy value chain say the project offers an opportunity to address…
Dawa Garse makes his remarks during a stakeholders forum in Marsabit
Marsabit’s pastoralist community has welcomed research spearheaded by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), the University of Copenhagen and other partners to tackle the growing effects of climate change on livestock, milk production, food safety and household incomes.
Residents involved in the dairy value chain say the project offers an opportunity to address challenges that affect the dairy value chain, while ensuring that research responds to the realities of pastoralist life in the county.
The DANIDA-funded ADAPTiVE project is spearheaded by the University of Copenhagen in partnership with JKUAT, the University of Nairobi (UoN), the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and Karare Women Dairy Cooperative.
At Karare Women Dairy Cooperative, where women play a growing role in milk aggregation and marketing, the partnership has been received with optimism.
Musa Shandey (right) leads Project members on a tour of Manyattas
Sabdio, chairlady of the cooperative, said the involvement of researchers gives the community an opportunity to share its experiences and challenges while gaining knowledge that can improve its livelihoods.
The women-led group is directly involved in collecting and marketing milk through the cooperative, giving its members a direct stake in keeping livestock productive and ensuring milk reaches the market in good condition.
Sabdio pinned her hopes on the project, saying it will contribute to practical solutions that can help pastoralist households deal with changing weather conditions, improve milk production and gain greater value from the milk they produce.
Musa Shandey, the Karare Women Dairy Cooperative project coordinator, said collaboration between researchers and the community was essential to finding solutions grounded in local experience.
He said the cooperative provides an important link between pastoralist milk producers and the market, and that stronger support and knowledge could help the community improve how milk is collected, handled and marketed.
Monica Khaboso, a member of the cooperative, said the project was also strengthening awareness of milk handling and safety, areas she described as essential to protecting both consumers and the livelihoods of those who depend on milk.
She said greater knowledge and improved practices along the milk value chain could help the community maintain better quality while increasing opportunities for the milk trade.
She further underscored the significance of the ADAPTiVE project to the community, noting that the support they receive through the initiative goes a long way in helping the cooperative support needy members of the community.
The project is examining how climate change and socio-cultural practices influence food safety and livelihoods along the pastoral milk value chain, with a focus on developing adaptation strategies suited to pastoralist communities.
Unlike conventional dairy farming systems, pastoralist households in Marsabit depend heavily on livestock as part of a wider livelihood system shaped by mobility, weather conditions and access to markets. Milk therefore provides an important link between livestock keeping, household welfare and the local economy.
Through its engagement with the community, the project is seeking to understand these realities and generate evidence that can inform practical interventions.
The County Government of Marsabit also pledged its support for the ADAPTiVE project during a stakeholder forum held from September 15–18, 2026, which brought together project partners, community members and county officials.
Dawa Garse of the Trade Department and Sora Jatani of the Public Health Department said maintaining a close working relationship with the county government would be key to ensuring the research remains aligned with local priorities and can inform interventions in the community. Read more about ADAPTiVE project.
ADAPTiVE Project members pose for a group photo with members of a milk aggregation centre in Marsabit County.