Mass livestock vaccination stalls over funding crisis

The national mass livestock vaccination campaign aimed at combating diseases and securing export markets, has stalled due to a lack of funding.

The Directorate of Veterinary Services and the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (Kevevapi) have confirmed that the exercise has been paralysed by insufficient funds.

“We understand that the exercise was called off due to a lack of money, and this will have significant repercussions on livestock production in the coming months,” said Kenya Veterinary Paraprofessional Association (KVPA) chairman John Ngigi.

Speaking in Naivasha, Ngigi said that Kevevapi had been prepared to produce the necessary vaccines, but the effort had been shelved owing to the financial constraints.

He emphasised that the vaccination initiative would have been critical in establishing disease-free zones, essential for facilitating international trade in livestock and livestock products.

“The frequent quarantines have deprived livestock keepers of income generated from livestock trade, causing the country to lose several markets due to disease outbreaks,” he said.

The national livestock vaccination programme had generated suspicion, anxiety, and finger-pointing across the country, with some leaders and farmers rejecting the exercise.

Last year, President William Ruto announced plans to vaccinate 22 million cattle against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and 50 million sheep and goats against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR).

However, this initiative faced sharp criticism as numerous leaders and experts questioned its viability, with many farmers pledging to reject the programme.

A senior livestock officer, who requested anonymity, said that the programme had received significant media attention but lacked adequate funding, prompting the department to cancel it.

"The Directorate was prepared for the exercise, and Kevevapi was set to produce the necessary vaccines, but without funding, this was not feasible," the officer explained.

This development follows a recent alert from the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) about an outbreak of livestock diseases in seven Arid and Semi-Arid Land (Asal) counties.

The outbreaks in Isiolo, Marsabit, Pokot, Garissa, Kitui, Meru, and Narok have severely impacted livestock production, raising urgent calls for vaccination.

In its March report, the authority noted that Peste des Petits Ruminants and Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) were the most commonly reported diseases, particularly affecting goats and sheep.

The outbreaks in some of these counties were attributed to low vaccination coverage and the introduction of unvaccinated livestock.

"Marsabit County reported respiratory and skin-related symptoms consistent with these diseases, while cases of Foot and Mouth Disease were reported in Garissa, Kitui, Meru, and Narok," the authority reported.

"Kitui has seen outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease, Newcastle Disease, and Trypanosomiasis, while Narok has faced persistent Anthrax outbreaks, with private veterinary service providers stepping in to assist," the authority stated.