Veterinary Science Research Institute

The Institute’s research is geared towards alleviating the impact of livestock diseases to enhance livestock production.

joshua-chepchieng

The Institute’s main focus is research on livestock diseases. It also addresses aspects related to development and validation of novel livestock vaccines. The Institute is located at Muguga, Kiambu County, about 30 km North of Nairobi off the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway. It has centres in Alupe and Muguga North.
The Institute’s mandate is to conduct research on livestock disease management for improved level of production and quality of products. The Institute has the following broad objectives:

a) Setting priority research agenda in animal health in the country.
b) Developing technologies that are appropriate to livestock farmers to reduce the ravages of disease.
c) Ensuring the efficient utilization of the available human and other resources for purposes of research and dissemination of useful and applicable outputs.
d) Ensuring the proper management and implementation of acceptable and planned research activities.

e) Identifying areas of capacity building and conducting appropriate training.
f)Establishing linkages with other research organisations locally and internationally.
g) Strengthening research-extension-farmer linkages for on-farm experiments and feedback on the usefulness or otherwise of our technologies.
h) Assisting KALRO to disseminate knowledge and technologies for wider adoption and impact.
i) Designing commercial initiatives generation for the institute. towards increased
j) Enhancing demand-driven livestock product value-chains.
k) Creating a positive image of KALRO

Overview of the Institute (About us):

Veterinary Science Research Institute (VSRI) champions research and innovation addressing livestock health challenges, geared towards enhanced livestock productivity, commercialization and competitiveness in the livestock sector. Located about 30 kilometres north of Nairobi, the Institute Headquarters is situated in Muguga, Kiambu County, off the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway and has centres in Muguga North and Alupe in Busia County.

The Institute has a national mandate for science, research and innovation on livestock health management, under the following broad objectives:

  1. Priority setting and coordination of national livestock health research agenda.
  2. Development of appropriate technologies, innovations and management practices (TIMPs) on management of livestock health.
  3. Dissemination and promotion of knowledge and information on livestock health management technologies, innovations and management practices for wider adoption and impact.
  4. Research on socio-economic aspects of livestock diseases and management.
  5. Research on emerging and re-emerging diseases of public health significance, OneHealth and anti-microbial resistance (AMR).
  6. Identification of capacity gaps in livestock health management research and knowledge.
  7. Capacity building to strengthen organizational and stakeholders’ capacity in livestock health management aspects.
  8. Foster public-private partnerships and linkages for research on development, production and commercialization of livestock health technologies, innovations and management practices.

Design and operationalize commercialization initiatives at the Institute.

  1. Development, validation, registration and promotion of novel vaccines, diagnostic kits and other livestock health enhancement products, management practices and techniques.
  2. Evaluation, validation and/or improvement of livestock health technologies, innovations and management practices such as livestock vaccines, diagnostic tools, therapeutic and other livestock health management products and digital diseases surveillance technologies.
  3. Efficacy testing of livestock health products.
  4. Research on cross-cutting thematic areas including One Health (animal/human/environment) and zoonoses.
  5. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including alternatives to antibiotics and generating national AMR surveillance data from dairy cattle.
  6. Generating epidemiological data to inform control of infectious diseases.
  7. Veterinary public health and food safety.
  8. Animal genetics and breeding through utilization of assisted reproductive technologies and genomics
  9. Socioeconomic of livestock diseases, livestock health technologies, innovations and management practices.

Core Functions

  1. Research and Development:
  • Development and improvement of livestock vaccines, disease diagnostic kits and chemotherapeutic, to enhance livestock health and productivity.
  • Developing innovative management practices for improved disease control.
  1. Capacity Building:
  • Building skillset of researchers in different research thematic areas and in line with current technologies as part of career progression
  • Support training and capacity building of animal health service providers such as veterinary surgeons and paraprofessionals on East Coast Fever vaccination.
  • Support training and capacity building of livestock keepers on livestock health technologies, innovations and management practices
  • Support training and capacity building of students through internship and field attachment opportunities
  • Coaching and mentorship of young professionals
  • Short-term training courses in relevant thematic areas
  • Capacity building of health facilities on Human African Trypanosomosis surveillance
  1. Policy Support:
  • Generation of data for policy support and decision making
  • Evidence-based policy recommendations to support policy formulation
  • Awareness creation on livestock health policies
  • Participate in national and international livestock health policies’ formulation fora
  1. Technology Transfer
  • Production and distribution of East Coast fever (ECF) vaccine
  • Training East Coast fever (ECF) vaccinators
  • Production and distribution of Molasses Urea Mineral Blocks (MUMBs)
  • Training community-based organizations (CBOs) and individual livestock keepers on production of Molasses Urea Mineral Blocks (MUMBs)
  • Hay (Boma Rhodes) production and sale
  • Production and distribution of dorper sheep breeding stock

The Institute collaborates with various national and international organizations, including:

  1. Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), State Department for Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development
  2. Directorate of Livestock Production, State Department for Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development
  3. Ministry of Interior and National Government administration
  4. County Governments
  5. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  6. World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)
  7. World Health Organization (WHO)
  8. International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
  9. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)
  10. Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVMED)
  11. International Development Research Centre (IDRC)/University of Saskatchewan/VIDO
  12. Global Strategic Alliances for the Coordination of Research on the Major Infectious Diseases of Animals and Zoonoses (STAR-IDAZ)
  13. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  14. Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)
  15. Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH)
  16. World Animal Protection
  17. Brooke East Africa
  18. CARITAS
  19. Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI)
  20. Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)
  21. National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI)
  22. Kenya National Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council (KENTTEC)
  23. Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
  24. Kenya Veterinary Board (KVB)
  25. University of Florida
  26. University of Nairobi
  27. Egerton University
  28. Taita Taveta University
  29. Alupe University
  30. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture, Science and Technology (JKUAT)
  31. Kenya Veterinary Association
  32. Animal Production Society of Kenya
  33. Kenya Camel Association (KCA)
  34. ELATIA CBO-Transmara
  35. Farmers and farmer organizations

Achievements and Impact

The Research Institute has made significant contributions to Kenya’s agricultural sector, including:

  1. Development, production and distribution of over one million doses of Marikebuni East Coast fever (ECF) vaccine for use in dairy cattle production systems in Kenya


Fig. 1: ECF vaccine storage in liquid nitrogen

  1. Development, production and distribution of 518,000 Molasses Urea Mineral Blocks (MUMBs) for ruminant livestock


Fig. 2: Molasses-Urea Mineral Blocks (MUMBs)        Fig.3: Transportation of MUMBs from VSRI

for livestock feed supplementation  

  1. Training 623 East Coast Fever Vaccinators


Fig. 4: A training session on ECF vaccination

  1. Training 107 CBOs and 26 individual livestock keepers on production and use of MUMBs


Fig. 5: CBO members from Molo in Nakuru County pose for a photo after a successful training on production of MUMBs

  1. Production and sale of 20,000 bales of Boma Rhodes hay per year
  2. Apprenticeship and job shadowing through field attachments for students

Products and Services Offered

  1. East Coast Fever Vaccine
  2. ECF immunization services
  3. Training for East Coast Fever vaccinators
  4. Livestock disease diagnostic services
  5. Post-mortem services
  6. Laboratory and bench space for livestock disease surveillance and diagnostics for individuals and institutions
  7. Molasses Urea Mineral Blocks (MUMBs
  8. Training for CBOs and individual livestock keepers on Molasses Urea Mineral Blocks (MUMBs)
  9. Boma Rhodes hay
  10. Internship and field attachment for students and young professionals
  11. Clinical services at Alupe Centre – inpatient and outpatient

Contact Information

Physical Address: KALRO Muguga, off Nairobi-Naivasha Highway
Postal Address: P.O. Box 32 – 00902, Kikuyu, Kenya      
Website: http://www.kalro.org/
Email: Director.vsri@kalro.org

Official Phone: +254 20 2524616