Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 381552,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/381552/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 49,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "If you can also recall, about four years ago, we had a problem at Athi River when animals which were being taken for slaughter to the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) died at the slaughter point. What was the motive and the reason behind bringing sick animals to the slaughter house instead of treating them at source? This is the point I am driving at here. The people in these counties are of the view that we need to put our priorities right. These are people who naturally have their own form of employment where one becomes a herdsman naturally. If their animals are all right then nobody will have to feed them. Initially, we used to hear about holding grounds in most of those counties. The land was dished out to the landless people. The holding grounds were points where livestock breeders and traders would keep their animals on the way to the market and the Government could easily contain some of the diseases that may have been brought from far and wide. It is time that this Senate addresses such issues and put some of these things on the right path. That is why this House was created. Some of the things that we have been generating policies over, but we have not implemented should now be implemented. There are some groups that will benefit substantially if this programme comes into effect. These are livestock owners. These are pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, some dairy farmers, livestock transporters, associated operators and chambers of commerce, public and private sector animal health service providers and community based organizations that are engaged in the sub-sector. It has a lot of merit and substantial benefits to the communities and to this country. The budget of the Ministry of Agriculture talks about implementing the first three disease free zones. I want to know what their priority is. If it is going with the Vision 2030, then our priorities are still upside down. I would propose that we change direction and take these funds from the national Government to the county governments where these animals are found. Today if we stop taking livestock to our neighbouring counties like Bungoma and Trans Nzoia, people will complain. So I expect that if there were any funds that were supposed to be taken for disease-free zoning like in Bungoma, Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu, we should start with the counties where the animals come from. Every week on Fridays and Saturdays, lorries come to Dagoretti with animals for sale from the same counties that I have talked about. It is my plea that we introduce this disease free zoning, which I am told Kenya, was the first one to come up with a policy, but Botswana came and copied us and implemented it. Today, they are number one in production of meat and meat products which they supply all over the world. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know we have the Animal Disease Act, Cap.367 of the laws of Kenya, but not much benefits have been accrued from this. If you remember from 1989 to date, very little investment has been put in the livestock sector. Veterinary officers have not been employed for a very long time. The few who were there, have since retired. Livestock extension officers have also not been employed. While introducing this Motion, I expect the Government to put in place measures alongside the county governments. I know the Constitution talks about transferring functions of animal breeding to the county governments, but the funding for the Kenya disease free zoning is still with the national Government. How can they employ when they do not have funds? So, I expected that if we have to deal with this problem head on, we need to employ The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}