Livestock keepers face two months imprisonment if they move Foot and Mouth Disease and Peste des Petits Ruminants unvaccinated animals.
As of the start of the national livestock vaccination programme two weeks ago farmers will be required to have vaccination certificates for the two diseases from their County Director of Veterinary Services to transport livestock anywhere in the country.
The countrywide vaccination programme which will run for the next three years targets the vaccination of 22 million cattle against both Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and 50 million sheep and goats against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) across all counties.
“For your animals to move we will demand that you have a vaccination certificate so that we stop the spread of these diseases,” explained the PS Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke.
Under the Animal Diseases Act farmers require a local animal movement permit which permits them to move domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs) within the country.
The key requirement of the permit is a vaccination certificate from your County or Subcounty Director of Veterinary Services. Currently, Rinderpest is the only disease that is compulsory to vaccinate against before moving livestock. Other diseases that are prevalent in Kenya such as Foot and Mouth Disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants, East Coast Fever, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Lumpy Skin Disease, and Rift Valley Fever are strongly recommended to be vaccinated and can be made mandatory by county governments depending on regional disease prevalence.
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Farmers can access the vaccine free of charge through local veterinary officers and designated vaccination centers across the county as the government pushes for 80 per cent herd immunity against PPR and FMD in the country.
According to Fulgence Mwarongo, the Voi Sub-County Veterinary Officer, it is mandatory that every household gets a certificate for the two diseases once their animals are vaccinated. “This vaccination cert will be demanded at road and county blocks when transporting livestock across the country,” he said.
This license ensures that there is limited transfer of pests and diseases from one part of the country to another.
“As we vaccinate the livestock we will keep records and give vaccination certificates so we know who has been vaccinated or not. Herders who have had their animals vaccinated will also not want their animals to interact with unvaccinated animals,” Mueke added.
Other details included in the animal movement permit are the number of animals to be moved, their origin and destination districts, the route that will be used, the validity period of the permit, and also details of any special conditions the permit is given under such as disease testing or quarantine.
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