The government has assured Kenyans that the vaccines to be used in the forthcoming nationwide livestock vaccination exercise have been produced locally by the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI).
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Dr Andrew Karanja allayed fears that the vaccines would be procured from abroad, explaining that KEVEVAPI has been producing and exporting livestock vaccines to over a dozen African countries, including Uganda, and even to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“These vaccines have been tried and tested and have been in use in the country for other vaccinations, which is a testament to their safety,” said Dr Karanja.
Speaking in Nairobi during a media breakfast engagement, the CS said that Uganda had ordered three million doses of the same vaccines from Kenya, which they are using on their livestock.
According to Dr Karanja, the government intends to vaccinate around 22 million cattle and 50 million sheep and goats starting in January 2025. He added that the exercise will be free of charge, with the government footing all the bills.
Dr Karanja emphasised the need for a unified approach in the management of livestock diseases, particularly Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) for cattle and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) for sheep and goats.
“What has been happening in the past is that individual counties have been vaccinating their livestock when they experience an outbreak, but the next county does not vaccinate. This has not been effective, as there is a lot of movement of livestock from one county to another, making it a waste of resources if all the counties do not vaccinate,” said the CS.
He explained that the exercise requires a coordinated approach to ensure that the diseases are eradicated, as the diseases restrict Kenya from trading livestock with international markets such as the European Union (EU).
Dr Karanja assured farmers and members of the public that there is no ulterior motive, as they only want to ensure that they protect livestock from diseases and ensure that the public consumes safe animal products.
“There have been concerns over the vaccination exercise, and we are going to engage with stakeholders to address the specific areas that need clarification so that we are all on the same page,” said the CS.
KEVEVAPI Managing Director (MD) Alex Sabuni gave the assurance that they have the capacity to produce the 22 million doses required for the nationwide vaccination exercise.
Sabuni explained that the country has been producing Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines for cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs at their Industrial Area facility since 1964, while at their Kabete plant, they produce 12 other vaccines.
“We have a research facility in Limuru where we keep our research animals,” explained Sabuni, adding that they have been supplying vaccines to many other African countries such as Uganda, Mali, Senegal, and the UAE.
He disclosed that they are currently producing the vaccines for the nationwide vaccination exercise and are awaiting a programme from the Director of Veterinary Services (DVS) on how they will supply them.
“Vaccine production is very interesting because the less you produce, the more expensive it becomes. Now that we will be producing them in mass, the cost is likely to come down,” explained Sabuni.
He said that currently, they are selling a dose of the Foot and Mouth vaccine at Sh105 locally and internationally at US$1.20.
The Director of Veterinary Services (DVS) Dr Allan Azegele, for his part, said that they will employ a risk-based approach in the vaccination exercise, noting that Foot and Mouth Disease has devastating effects on dairy animals. Thus, the initial focus will be on counties that are predominantly dairy producers.
Dr Azegele said that the ultimate target is to achieve recognition of freedom from Foot and Mouth Disease.
“The Foot and Mouth vaccination will be administered twice a year because the current vaccine we are using offers immunity for about six months,” he said.
According to Dr Azegele, if Kenya is able to undertake the vaccination twice a year for three years, it will be able to seek freedom from the disease. Once recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the world will be open for Kenya to access international markets, as it will be able to demonstrate that its herds are free of the disease. The focus will then shift to surveillance for any pockets of the disease.
“With PPR, we are keen to eradicate the disease because once an animal is vaccinated, that one shot is enough for a lifetime. This enables us to move quickly, and within two years, we can achieve freedom from the disease, allowing our sheep and goats to access international markets,” said Dr Azegele.
– Joseph Ng’ang’a
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