The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that 200 cattle and a combined total of 15,400 sheep and goats departed via MV Bunyas Lome shipping vessel for the Salalah Port in Oman.

"The livestock export gives renewed impetus in the utilization of Lamu port as a central cog in international trade by facilitating quick and effective use of sea transport," the ministry said in a statement released in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Monday.

The ministry added that the export is especially timely as it comes at a time when drought has ravaged many parts of the country.

"The export offers an opportunity for Kenyan livestock owners to sell their animals to a promising market," it said.

The ministry noted that international sales would also prevent the loss of thousands of animals to the current drought as well as empower livestock farmers.

Kenya inaugurated the first berth of the Lamu port in May 2021, which is part of the Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor.

China Communication Construction Company undertook the construction of the first berth of the port facility that can handle large vessels with a carrying capacity ranging from 12,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 18,000 TEUs.