Govt reviews livestock, veterinary policies to address sector challenges

The government is reviewing two key national policies governing livestock production and veterinary services in a move aimed at addressing persistent challenges in the sector, including pasture shortages, animal diseases, inadequate funding and weak veterinary infrastructure.

The review of Sessional Paper No. 2 of 2020 on Veterinary Policy and Sessional Paper No. 3 of 2020 on Livestock Production Policy is expected to provide policy direction on the management of animal resources, livestock productivity, animal welfare and veterinary service delivery.

Speaking during a public participation exercise in Kisumu, Paul Njagi, a senior official from the State Department for Livestock Development, Directorate of Livestock Production, said the review would examine challenges affecting livestock production and propose interventions to guide the sector’s future development.

Njagi identified animal genetics, pasture development and fodder availability among the key areas requiring policy attention, noting that approximately 70 per cent of Kenya’s livestock is found in the rangelands.

He said the government was seeking to develop policy directions that would address challenges facing these areas, particularly inadequate pasture and fodder, which affect livestock production.

The consultations are also intended to gather views from stakeholders on the management of the country’s animal resources and the interventions needed to strengthen the livestock value chain.

The Kenya Veterinary Policy identifies historical underinvestment, fragmented governance, inadequate infrastructure and weak disease surveillance as some of the challenges affecting veterinary service delivery.

The document traces some of the challenges to spending cuts and the withdrawal of government veterinary extension services during the Structural Adjustment Programmes of the 1980s and 1990s, which affected access to veterinary services, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas.

It further identifies coordination gaps following the introduction of devolution, inadequate staffing and funding, and limited laboratory capacity as constraints to effective disease prevention and control.

According to the policy, funding for the Directorate of Veterinary Services declined from KSh5.1 billion in the 2016/2017 financial year to Sh2.7 billion in 2018/2019, against an estimated annual requirement of Sh7.7 billion for veterinary services nationally and at county level.

The document also raises concerns about disease surveillance, noting that approximately 70 per cent of notifiable animal disease reports are based on clinical suspicion rather than laboratory confirmation.

It identifies diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, East Coast Fever, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, African Swine Fever and avian influenza among the threats requiring strengthened prevention, surveillance and control measures.

Antimicrobial resistance, climate change and the increasing risk of zoonotic diseases are also highlighted as emerging challenges with implications for animal health, public health and food safety.

The policy further identifies a shortage of veterinary professionals, estimating that county governments require an additional 522 veterinarians and 1,816 veterinary paraprofessionals to strengthen service delivery.

Deputy Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Sabenzia Wekesa, on her part, said the exercise was part of the government’s constitutional obligation to involve the public in policymaking.

She said the Kisumu forum had attracted participants from approximately 10 counties, including Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Bungoma and Homa Bay.

Dr. Wekesa noted that participants had raised questions about the respective responsibilities of the national and county governments in implementing livestock and veterinary programmes.

She said the review sought to clarify the functions of the two levels of government while identifying areas where their responsibilities overlap.

The policies outline national government functions, county government responsibilities and cross-cutting areas requiring coordination between the two levels of government.

Meanwhile, Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock Production, Fisheries and Agro-economy Kenneth Anyango called on participants to take the consultation process seriously, saying their contributions would help shape the final policy documents.

Anyango said the policies would provide guidance on animal health and welfare, public safety, certification for international livestock trade, food safety, food security, production and marketing.

He noted that certification was particularly important for livestock producers and exporters seeking access to international markets.

Anyango added that public participation was a constitutional requirement and that the views collected during the exercise should be reflected in the final documents.

The Veterinary Policy seeks to safeguard animal health and welfare, protect public health and promote trade in animals and animal products while supporting food safety, food security and economic development.

Its scope covers domestic and emerging livestock, wildlife, companion animals, aquatic animals and animals used for research, reflecting the interconnected relationship between animal health, human health and the environment under the One Health approach.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries also shows that as of 2024, the country’s animal population comprised 44.6 million poultry, 22 million cattle, 35 million goats, 28 million sheep, 4.3 to 6 million camels, 1.9 million donkeys, and 0.5 million pigs, which contributed 4.4 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the same year.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Kenya’s beef production stands at 588,000 metric tonnes and cow milk production at 4.1 billion litres per year, and the demand for livestock products is projected to increase exponentially driven by population growth by the year 2050.

The study titled Future of Livestock in Kenya 2019 shows that by the year 2050, meat and cow milk consumption will increase by 1.4 and 6.6 million metric tonnes annually, respectively.

By Mabel Keya-Shikuku and Dorothy Pamella