Livestock Vaccination: Kagwe commits to ensure accurate information reaches farmers

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary nominee Mutahi Kagwe has pledged to use a consultative approach, if approved, to drive programmes under his docket.

In response to the upcoming mass livestock vaccination campaign, Kagwe drew on his experience handling the COVID-19 pandemic when he served as Health CS.

He told the vetting panel on Tuesday that he would work closely with key stakeholders, including experts and farmers, to ensure the success of the programme.

Kagwe specifically mentioned that he would utilise both mainstream and social media channels to disseminate information, emphasising that, as with the COVID-19 crisis, it would ultimately be up to livestock owners to make informed decisions.

“Agriculture is a devolved function, with many stakeholders, including county governments. I will establish a robust communication system across both mainstream and social media platforms,” he told the Committee on Appointments.

“We must recognise that we will face both positive and negative feedback. I will use the same channels to share information. Criticism is inevitable, and that’s okay. We will consult with owners and experts, but we must move forward together, just as we did during the COVID-19 response.”

He added that the same approach would be applied to other sectors under his ministry’s jurisdiction.

When asked about the challenges ahead, including the potential influence of cartels, Kagwe said he was prepared for any battle, drawing a parallel with his time at the Ministry of Health.

“Cartels will fight back, just as we saw with Afya House and the ‘COVID billionaires’ situation, which led to the restructuring of KEMSA. There was significant abuse of processes, but I am ready for the battle. I know there are many people in Kenya who will support our efforts,” he said.

Kagwe recounted the difficult decisions he had to make to save lives at the pandemic’s peak, despite procurement and process abuse challenges.

“Money always takes a secondary position when it comes to matters of life and death. At the height of the pandemic, we had to purchase PPEs urgently, but we later worked with local manufacturers to produce the same materials at a fraction of the cost. Many mistakes were made, but I took responsibility and re-engineered the entire process,” he said.

He told the MPs he has what it takes for the job “All that experience that I have had, in my opinion, has ably prepared me for this particular position,”.

The government is set to embark on a nationwide livestock vaccination programme against diseases. The President said 22 million cattle and 50 million goats and sheep will be vaccinated.

He explained that the programme will help prevent animal diseases and thus secure the international market for livestock products.