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"id": 176789,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/176789/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. ole Metito",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Regional Development Authorities",
"speaker": {
"id": 199,
"legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
"slug": "judah-ole-metito"
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"content": " Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to contribute in full support of this Motion. First, let me thank the Mover of this Motion, hon. Lekuton, the Member for Laisamis, for bringing this Motion whose time has come. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I will specifically talk about three issues on the Motion; that is training, licensing and regulation of the practice of animal technicians and surveillance and control of emerging diseases. As clearly stated in the Motion, the importance of the livestock sub-sector cannot be ignored in this country. As it is said, it constitutes about 30 per cent of agriculturally marketed goods. Above all, it injects 10 per cent of the total GDP to our economy. But many issues have been left unresolved for the well being of that sub-sector. First, there is the issue of training. Recently, the Minister for Livestock Development admitted in this House that they have not employed any veterinary officer for the last 20 years. It is totally unbelievable that, for the last 20 years, no veterinary officer has been employed in the Ministry. That is because of the embargo on employment that was imposed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). That embargo was imposed in 1988. That is about 20 years ago. That tells you that no research has been carried out. No census on livestock has been conducted. There has not been any technological transfer of skills in this Ministry. So, on the issue of training, research and training has been done by institutions that are not really under the Ministry. Training and research has always been done by Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and Kenya Trypanosomiasis Research Institute (KETRI). Both institutions are not under the Ministry of Livestock Development. They are under a different Ministry. That has resulted in very weak linkages on research extension. That has adversely affected livestock production and productivity. I think there is a need to pass this Motion, so that we can introduce the proposed Animals Technicians Bill, 2008, so that we can correct that anomaly. That anomaly has caused declining trends both in efficiency and effectiveness of extension services. Those institutions are supposed to conduct research on livestock and other animal products. When we come to the issue of licensing, I think this is the most misplaced Ministry. Licensing and regulation of animal technicians. The Department of Veterinary Services has no control over institutions that are charged with licensing and regulation of animal products. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, these institutions are supposed to enforce animal health and quality standards of products, but they have been weakened by some of the legal anomalies that we see in the Ministry. For instance, we have the Public Health Act, Cap.242, and the Meat Control Act, Cap.356. We also have the Department of Veterinary Services that inspects meat. These bodies are responsible for control of veterinary drugs and pesticides are under the December 03, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3805 Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Agriculture. If you look at Pharmacy and Poisons Act, Cap.244, and Pests Control Products Act, Cap.346, they are under different Ministries. So, these Ministries cannot have control over licensing and regulation of animal technicians. I think that the important Department of Veterinary Services has no control over these conflicting statutes, especially those on drugs and pesticides with respect to animal products. Therefore, there is need to harmonize these conflicting mandates in order to achieve proper animal health and product quality standards. This proposed Bill, if passed, will really help in harmonizing those conflicting statutes. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there has also been a lot of unpredictable Government reorganization and restructuring, which has, at times, been putting this department under the Ministry of Agriculture and at other times, elevating it to full Ministry . So, these frequent splits and mergers have put the right institutions under the wrong Ministries; some of these institutions are Kenya Trypanosomiasis Research Institute (KETRI), Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Protection and Immunization (KEVEVAPI), Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) and Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC). All these organizations have been placed under different Ministries at different times. There is need to bring all of them together through a legal framework for better quality of animal products and animal health. Finally, it is the other part of the Motion which talks about surveillance and animal diseases. This is very complicated because of the trans-boundary nature of livestock diseases. It has also been increasingly recognised that the livestock sub-sector has potential for earning substantial foreign exchange if we control diseases that affect the livestock subsector. For full access to our external markets, and to realise its full potential, it is essential that we curtail animal health standards and quality parameters that are currently not being achieved by some of the local producers. This can only be done if we create disease free zones, and secure the Livestock Marketing Division (LMD) that is used to control diseases. I want to support this Bill and urge hon. Members to pass it, so that we can bring sanity and consistency into this Ministry, which is very important because it serves over 90 per cent of our land mass, namely the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}