The Mt Kenya Times 
President William Ruto Launches Wajir County Livestock Vaccination.
By Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- The campaign had started on a positive note as thousands of livestock farmers in Laikipia and other counties heeded the call to have their animals vaccinated.
- Kagwe was upbeat about this as he encouraged farmers to take advantage of this opportunity provided by government for this noble initiative.
- The State Department of Veterinary had earlier stated that the campaign is targeting 22 million cows and 52 million goats.
- This came on the heels of the swearing -in of newly appointed Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Agriculture and Livestock Mutahi Kagwe at State House Nairobi. Kagwe’s first key assignment was to ensure that all the animals are vaccinated.
President Ruto is currently on a working tour of Northern Kenya.
Taking cognizant of fact that majority of the people in this region were livestock farmers and hence relied on animal products to eke a living, Dr Ruto took the vaccination campaign a notch by launching Wajir county vaccination.
The images shared showed President Ruto vaccinating goats while wearing veterinary overall coat.
The President once again hit out at his opponents who were opposing the vaccination, likening them to fools, unpatriotic and heartless characters who did not have the interest of the country at heart.
This came just a few days after Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe kicked off the nationwide drive in Laikipia County.
The campaign had started on a positive note as thousands of livestock farmers in Laikipia and other counties heeded the call to have their animals vaccinated.
Kagwe was upbeat about this as he encouraged farmers to take advantage of this opportunity provided by government for this noble initiative.
The State Department of Veterinary had earlier stated that the campaign is targeting 22 million cows and 52 million goats.
This came on the heels of the swearing -in of newly appointed Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Agriculture and Livestock Mutahi Kagwe at State House Nairobi. Kagwe’s first key assignment was to ensure that all the animals are vaccinated.
Notably, the campaign is taking place at a time when a quarantine have been placed in several counties including Kakamega, West Pokot and Trans Nzoia due to outbreak of deadly foot- and-mouth disease.
Kagwe was sworn-in alongside two other CS-designates William Kabogo and Lee Kinyanjui.
In his brief speech, the President told them. We have a common goal of serving the people of the Republic of Kenya to the best of our ability.
I have worked with you before in the previous administrations and so I know you will not let me down.
The trio joins the broad based government in which ODM top officials are among those who had earlier been incorporated.
Turning to Kagwe, President Ruto noted: I have no doubt that Mr Kagwe will help us to address the challenge of animals vaccination, as he had done before.
It is worth noting Kagwe served as a Cabinet Secretary for Health during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure.
He is remembered for bold, courageous and urgent steps that he took during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He used all means to save the lives of Kenyans from deadly virus that was ravaging the whole world.
As a result, Kenya did not lose many lives compared to other countries.
Two of his key interventions stood as; ensuring shipment of enough vaccines and mobilizing Kenyans and foreigners living in Kenya to get vaccinated.
He also ensured those who had virus had been quarantined and the restriction and containment measures were followed to the letter and spirit.
The issue of animals vaccination rose up when he was being vetted for the current assignment.
This was Kagwe’s response. No farmer would be forced to have their livestock vaccinated.
He however told members of the National Assembly’s Vetting committee.
If you approve my name and I’m appointed by His Excellency The President to serve in this docket, I would immediately embark on undertaking one of my key assignment of sensitizing the livestock farmers on importance of this drive.
This is a noble exercise aimed at strengthening animals’ immune system and hence protecting the herds from getting infected with the diseases. Besides, this will improve the quality of meat and other animals products, he noted. CS Kagwe is now walking the talk.
President William Ruto had earlier announced that the National livestock vaccination campaign will commence this month of January.
In his New Year Message to Kenyans, the President however clarified that the drive is voluntary.
The choice is yours but we are encouraging livestock farmers to seize this opportunity and allow thier cows and goats to be vaccinated.
I grew up when seeing the animals being vaccinated.
The drive is geared towards eradicating the threat of diseases once and for all.
The President had earlier stated. Kenyans and other human beings around the world had all along been receiving the jabs particularly when young.
These jabs were meant to strengthen immune body system, thus protecting and shielding human beings from being infected with deadly terminal ailments such as polio and Tuberculosis (TB).
Turning to his critics, Dr Ruto then posed. When you resort to inciting livestock farmers not to have their animals vaccinated, you are ruining their lives.
This is because a huge chunk of them relied entirely on these animals for their livelihoods.
Notably, the government drive aims at combating two common and deadly animal diseases- foot-and-mouth and Peste Des Petits (PPR)-is the first-of-its- kind. PPR is common among the young animals. When they get infected, chances of surviving are very rare.
The overall goal of this campaign is to reduce mass death of the animals, improve the quality of the meat and other animal products and hence increase the demands in the international and local markets.
The difference this time is that the campaign is well organized and coordinated.
The state has since clarified that the vaccines are manufactured locally by Kenyans. The nationwide vaccination exercise will also be carried out by well trained Kenyan veterinary officers
In my previous article, I argued that the critics were opposing this campaign for political reasons.
They did not want the President to succeed. They know this campaign will shape up his legacy and they will lack something to tell Kenyans during the 2027 general elections. The strategy of trying to go unseat him will fall down flat.
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Morocco at 27: A kingdom built on purpose, not luck
- Iran vows to strike back: Hormuz, oil fields and global markets in the crosshairs
- St. Francis of Assisi High School Kimoning: The harvest of hope has begun
- Africa at the crossroads: Breaking the cycle of dependency and building a future of productive sovereignty
- The Uninvited Parent: Africa’s Silent War Between Step-Parents and Step-Children
About the Author
