Veterinary Association urges Gov't to postpone nationwide livestock vaccination drive

The Kenya Veterinary Association (KVA) has weighed in on the controversial vaccination of 22 million cattle and appealed to the government to suspend the exercise to allow adequate public participation on the matter.

With vocal opposition to the government’s plan to vaccinate livestock starting January next year, the association has openly criticized the programme, arguing that they were not consulted during its development.

KVA National Chairman Dr. Kelvin Osore, in a heavily worded statement issued on Tuesday, stated that concerns raised by the government on controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is not a priority and that Kenyans should be given adequate time to be sensitised on the matter.

He demanded transparency on the diseases being targeted, the rationale behind the vaccination, and the identity of the program's sponsors.

“There was no stakeholders' engagement. We were not involved after the programme received controversy from the public. We were not involved in the conception and along the way. The government just rushed to us recently,” Dr. Osore said.

"The government’s failure to conduct adequate public sensitization has fueled widespread resistance and misinformation among livestock keepers and the general public. This situation not only hampers disease control but also risks creating further outbreaks. Stakeholders, including farmers, veterinary professionals, and community leaders, were not sufficiently involved in planning, leading to mistrust and confusion, including in professional circles."

Additionally, KVA called on the government to avoid using harsh rhetoric to force public acceptance of the vaccination.

The association insists that several critical questions remain unanswered, adding that Kenyans deserve to know which diseases the vaccination targets, how long the program will run, and who is funding it.

“The programme has a lot of misinformation. We as the veterinary association have tried to get more info from the government - so far, nothing. We don’t know how long it will run,” stated Dr. Osore.

The association further argues that some of the diseases identified by the government are localized and do not justify a nationwide vaccination campaign.

“A vaccination should be tailored for specific regions. You can't vaccinate foot and mouth across the whole country; there are specific areas. Let them vaccinate specific areas. These diseases are not widespread across the country. On greenhouse emissions, as an association, we cannot prove those allegations on curbing emissions,” added the KVA boss.

“We reiterate that as a matter of principle, KVA fully supports efforts to control livestock diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) through sustained and strategic vaccination campaigns.”

The association is now calling for the suspension of the programme and asking the government to prioritize addressing other pressing issues affecting the livestock sector before allocating billions of shillings to the vaccination initiative.

“The government needs to pause the whole program. It’s a pity that even a professional organization like ours doesn’t know what is happening. The government needs to stop lecturing people; the cow belongs to the people,” noted Dr. Osore.

The government plans to vaccinate approximately 22 million cattle, alongside 50 million goats, sheep, and small livestock next year.