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{
"id": 186804,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/186804/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Kuti",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Livestock Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 60,
"legal_name": "Mohammed Abdi Kuti",
"slug": "mohammed-kuti"
},
"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) Yes, I am aware that there is an outbreak of a disease killing sheep and goats in Nkutuk Elmuget area of Lodungokwe Location in Wamba Division and in actual fact, in most of the North Rift districts. I would like to clarify that the disease is not mysterious. It has been tested in the laboratory and it is a viral disease called Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR). It is a viral disease of sheep and goats, which is characterised by high fever and nosal discharge. It is highly contagious through contact and has a high mortality rate. As this House may recall, I had earlier issued a Ministerial Statement on this same disease in this House. (b) It is estimated that 41,600 goats and sheep have died in Wamba in Samburu East as a result of that disease since its outbreak in June, 2006. It is important for the House to note that my Ministry has not failed to respond to the outbreak of PPR. In fact, veterinary officers are still trying their best on the ground and they are vaccinating animals with the little doses that are availed to the Ministry through resources not only from the Government, but also non-governmental organisations. Vaccination has taken place in 2260 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 31, 2007 Lengede, Ngilai, Lodungukwe, Nkaroni and Resin locations of Wamba Division. Vaccination is also happening in other parts of the country where the disease has been detected. (c) My Ministry does not have sufficient vaccines for all the goats and sheep in the affected regions. As I stated in my Ministerial Statement, 15 million doses are required. I had even indicated the amount in this same House. However, in an attempt to contain the spread of that disease, my Ministry, jointly with FAO-Kenya, recently procured 2.46 million doses for Garissa, Wajir, Moyale, Samburu, Mandera, Turkana, West Pokot, Marakwet, Laikipia, Isiolo, Marsabit, Baringo and East Pokot. That is still a very small amount compared to the 15 million doses that are required. My Ministry has also set aside Kshs32.5 million to procure another 130,000 doses of vaccines. Further, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged a support of Kshs21 million which will be used to control the disease in Samburu Central, Samburu East, Samburu North, Laikipia East, Laikipia West, Laikipia North and Isiolo. The idea is to create a buffer zone so that the disease, which has started from the northern districts of Turkana and Pokot, does not continue further south. We are doing that with the few doses that we are able to acquire from whatever source that we get. My Ministry has presented a Memorandum to the Cabinet in order to get an additional funding of Ksh557 million to implement the emergency phase immediately, and another Kshs376 million annually for the next four years in order to eradicate that disease. (d) My Ministry has declared a quarantine in the affected districts in order to curb further spread of that disease. In addition, 23 veterinary officers have since been posted around the country. Those are the few that we were able to hire initially. We are in the process of hiring more. We are posting technicians and veterinary doctors to areas that did not have. As I have indicated in my earlier speeches in this House, the Ministry has not employed staff since 1987. We are now hiring doctors to fill the gap that has been created by the long period of non-employment."
}