Tackling cattle rustling menace using RFID/GPS livestock traceability applications in North Rift Kenya: assessment of the options and way forward

Cattle rustling is defined as the act of stealing livestock. It is an old practice among cattle rearing communities in Kenya. However, in post-modern Kenya, cattle-rustling has transformed from being a customary means of livestock restocking where traditional weapons such as bows and arrows and spears were used to a commercial practice where sophisticated weaponry is used. At the heart of the menace of cattle-rustling is the rampant culture of impunity in Kenya. The failure by the government to stamp out the practice or deal firmly with the persons behind it has perpetuated and aggravated the menace. This paper suggests modern ICT options, that is RFID and GPS traceability applications that could be used or adopted to help solve the problem of cattle rustling in Kenya, enable improvement in dealing firmly with the perpetrators of the practice and thereby end the culture of impunity.