Climate-Smart Dairy Training of Trainers (TOT)- A Report: Strengthening capacity for low-emission, productive, and sustainable smallholder dairy farming in Kenya

Smallholder dairy production in Kenya faces the dual challenge of meeting growing demand for milk while improving environmental sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly enteric methane emissions.
To address these challenges, Solidaridad East and Central Africa, in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Alliance Bioversity–CIAT) through its Tropical Forages Program, implemented a series of Climate-Smart Dairy Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties in Kenya.
The training programme was designed to equip extension officers, trainers, lead farmers, cooperative trainers, and other dairy-sector personnel with practical knowledge and facilitation skills that they can subsequently transfer to smallholder dairy farmers.
The programme was implemented through three Training of Trainers (ToT) cohorts, each conducted at a designated training venue. The cohorts were organized to bring together participants from the respective target areas and to strengthen their capacity to subsequently train and support smallholder dairy farmers.
1. Nyandarua Cohort: The Nyandarua County cohort comprised participants drawn from Weru, Charagita, Gathara, & Engineer wards and was trained at Ol Joro Orok Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) from June 30 to July 3, 2026.
2. Nakuru Cohort: The Nakuru County cohort comprised participants drawn from Bahati and Njoro wards and was trained at Tumaini Conference Centre from July 7 to July 10, 2026.
3. Combined Nyandarua–Nakuru Cohort: A third cohort comprising participants drawn from both Nyandarua (Gathara and Engineer) and Nakuru (Bahati and Njoro) counties was trained at the Dairy Research Institute (DRI), KALRO Naivasha, from August 19 to August 21, 2026.