Experts convene for national veterinary disease prevention campaign

The State Department of Livestock Development has held a meeting with all the County Directors of Veterinary Services (CDVS), the Council of Governors (COGs), and the County Executive Committees (CECs) in charge of Livestock to plan for the national vaccination campaign of livestock against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Pestes des Petit Ruminantes (PPR).

The two-day meeting focused on key issues affecting the veterinary sector, with an emphasis on improving service delivery and addressing challenges faced by all the counties.

Speaking in Nairobi, Principal Secretary (PS) for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke unveiled an ambitious plan to commercialise the livestock industry that is aimed at elevating Kenya’s economy and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.

He further emphasized the critical role of the dairy, meat, and leather industries in boosting the country’s economic standing while outlining a comprehensive strategy to achieve these goals.

The PS highlighted five primary areas of focus for improving the livestock sector, including Breed Improvement, which enhances genetic quality to increase productivity and resilience in livestock; animal feed, which addresses the availability and quality of feed to ensure optimal growth and health; and disease control, which urges farmers to embrace vaccination and ultimately strengthen vaccination programs and veterinary services.

Others include Animal Identification, which implements robust tracking systems (digital ID) to improve traceability that comply with international standards, and the Livestock Master Plan, which develops a structured roadmap to guide the sector’s growth and align it with national development goals.

However, Mueke expressed concern about Kenya’s meat exports losing value due to inadequate vaccination and health certifications.

He noted that Kenyan meat is sold at lower prices in the international markets of Dubai and Saudi Arabia compared to meat products of other countries.

“In our market study, our team went to retail supermarkets in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, where they noticed that a kilogramme of Kenya’s goat meat is going for 9 dollars while a kilogramme of Pakistan goat meat is going for 12 dollars. We are losing three dollars a kilogramme, which would be money in the pocket of our farmers,” lamented Mueke.

In view of this, the PS stressed that disease control is the biggest challenge in the sector, urging farmers to embrace vaccination.

He noted that strengthening veterinary services prevents animal losses, ensures food safety, and adheres to international meat standards so as to enable Kenya to compete in global meat markets.

For instance, Mueke cited Uruguay’s success in leveraging livestock exports as a significant contributor to its GDP and urged Kenya to adopt similar strategies.

He reiterated that a thriving livestock sector could help Kenya achieve economic equity by providing opportunities for livestock farmers, thus bridging the wealth gap.

The PS noted that with the right investments in vaccines and vaccine policy, interventions will not only improve the livelihoods of the farmers but also position Kenya as a key player in the global market.

Mueke called on the CDVS to create awareness and remove the propaganda that vaccines change animal DNA.

“I urge you to take a microphone, go out there to your counties, call the press, and talk science,” said the PS.

Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Michael Cheruyoit, also expressed concern about the teething problem, especially the way vaccinations are carried out.

“Last year, we only vaccinated 574,000 cattle, which fell short of the anticipated 2.2 million cattle,” disclosed Dr. Cheruiyot, insisting that the adoption of these mass vaccinations is important.

He noted that vaccination has been politicised in the country by regarding it as harmful and therefore implored all veterinarians as professionals on the need to stand up and sensitise the Kenyan people.

By Michael Omondi and Winnie Saha