President William Ruto has defended the planned nationwide livestock vaccination program, dismissing opposition from certain politicians as unreasonable.
Speaking at the annual pastoralists’ leadership summit in Wajir, Ruto emphasized the necessity of the exercise to combat diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), which hinder Kenya’s ability to export livestock products.
“We aim to make Kenya a disease-free zone so we can access international markets currently closed to us due to disease control issues,” he stated.
Addressing critics, the President remarked, “Anyone opposing this vaccination program is simply being unreasonable or misinformed. Perhaps they lack cattle or do not understand its importance.”
The vaccination drive, set for January 2025, targets at least 22 million cattle and 50 million goats and sheep. The vaccines will be locally produced by the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI).
Ruto, himself a cattle farmer, called on farmers to support the initiative and disregard misinformation from politicians, adding that the effort builds on years of disease control measures.
“This is not a new concept. For decades, we have battled these diseases, and vaccination is the right step forward,” he said.
Among the vocal critics of the program is Githunguri MP Gathoni Wa Muchomba, who has raised concerns about the initiative, terming it an externally driven agenda. “This is a foreign idea being pushed with specific intentions that could harm our livestock sector,” she argued.
Despite such reservations, Ruto maintained that the vaccination initiative is essential for both the welfare of livestock and the nation’s economic advancement.
