Kenyan President Dr William Ruto, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, is pushing to vaccinate over 22 million cattle and 50 million sheep and goats. Planning to kick off in January 2025, the government states it will boost animal health and meat exports.
The move, allegedly associated with the Bill Gates Foundation, faces criticism from livestock owners and the Kenya Veterinary Association. According to the Royal Media Service station, Citizen TV, the veterinary doctors argue that the activity is shrouded in secrecy and demand that the planned vaccination be suspended.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Dr Okore, the chairperson of the Kenya Veterinary Association, states that there were no official engagements on the vaccination source and its administration process. He adds that the association was only consulted after the process gained public backlash.
Additionally, the veterinary association argues that there should be transparency on which livestock disease the vaccination targets and how long the program will run. True, various livestock diseases are localized and thus require varying livestock treatment measures.
Also, the association is urging the government to stop harsh rhetoric to force acceptance on Kenyan livestock owners. Recently, government officials have been seen in public gatherings urging Kenyans to accept the vaccination process, even criticizing those against the procedure.
Since President William Ruto was elected, introducing new policies hasn’t been a new concept. Unfortunately, this has led to disagreements between the government and its citizens, with the biggest of all witnessed in the Reject Finance Bill 2024 protests. Only time will tell how the ongoing livestock vaccination will proceed. Stick around for more updates.
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