The Sahiwal breed originates from Pakistan and India and was imported to Kenya in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a dual-purpose breed, valued for both milk and meat. Farmers use Sahiwal cattle for crossbreeding with exotic breeds to improve production. In Kenya, the breed is mostly found in Kajiado, Narok, Nakuru, and Laikipia counties, particularly in the Southern and Central Rift Valley regions. Farmers keep Sahiwals under smallholder systems, beef and dairy ranching, and marginal areas. The breed tolerates heat, drought, and internal and external parasites. Sahiwals can survive in harsh drylands and travel long distances in search of pasture and water, although they remain vulnerable to extreme weather.
Sahiwals are heavily built with a straight, long face and a hump in the cervico-thoracic position. Their coat is reddish-brown to chestnut, short, straight, and smooth, with black skin pigmentation. They have straight lateral horns, long drooping ears, and stand 120–136 cm at the withers. Mature bulls weigh 450–600 kilograms, while mature females weigh 400–550 kilograms. Yearlings gain about 490 grams per day, and weaning weights range from 160–180 kilograms.
Milk production averages 1,574 kilograms over 293 days, with butterfat content between 4.0 and 5.3 percent. Milk yield is influenced by feeding and management and may range from 5 to 10 litres per day. Sahiwals reach first calving at 36–45 months and show fertility rates around 89 percent. The breed is docile, adapts well to marginal areas, and produces milk rich in butterfat. However, Sahiwals have relatively low milk yields and may be challenging breeders, with most mating occurring at night.
In Kenya, the largest herds are maintained at KARI, Naivasha, and El-Karama, Nanyuki. Sahiwal cattle remain a critical resource for smallholder farmers and ranchers in hot and semi-arid regions due to their resilience and dual-purpose performance.