Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - President William Ruto’s government has softened its stance on the upcoming animal vaccination program, scheduled to begin in January 2025, targeting 20 million cattle and 50 million goats and sheep.
The initiative, reportedly linked
to American entrepreneur Bill Gates' climate project, had sparked criticism
among Kenyan citizens and political leaders.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Monday,
Agriculture and Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke clarified that the vaccination will be voluntary, not mandatory.
The PS emphasized that 85% of
livestock in Kenya are owned by smallholder farmers who rely on them as their
primary source of livelihood.
"Vaccination is not mandatory; it is voluntary. Why would we want to play politics with the livelihood of our poor people?
"Why would a politician go and tell a poor farmer that the government is coming to vaccinate your cattle so that you don’t lose it?
"Don’t you agree? Why do we want to play politics with people’s lives? Why
do we want our people to stay poor?" Meek questioned.
Meanwhile, as per the government,
the vaccination programme aims to bolster Kenya's livestock industry, a key
pillar of the economy, and protect smallholder farmers from devastating losses
due to disease outbreaks.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
0 Comments