The government and stakeholders in the livestock sector are pushing for the enactment of the Livestock Bill 2024, a new regulatory framework to tame unethical business practices.
Director of Livestock Policy Research and Regulations in the State Department for Livestock Dr. Christopher Wanga explained that the legislative proposal is expected to restore order and ensure all value chains adhere to set regulations and address the issue of the shrinking market share locally and internationally.
Addressing the media in his office, Wanga said the Bill provides a regulatory framework for previously unregulated livestock sector industries and value chains such as animal feeds and others which is essential for livestock-based livelihoods and the national economy.
According to Dr. Wanga, about 70 per cent of the livestock population is found in the ASAL where the sector employs nearly 90 per cent of the people. In the high rainfall areas, the sector provides employment and income mainly through dairy, poultry and pig production.
“The legislative proposal introduces transformative measures designed to revitalize and provide an enabling environment for the unregulated value chains in the livestock sector industries in Kenya. This is expected to bring considerable benefits to farmers, livestock keepers, national and county government operations and the economy,” Wanga observed.
He explained that putting in place a substantive law will usher in a new dawn bringing order and quality regulation therefore taming unethical practices that have for long denied value chain players enjoyment for their hard-earned products.
The bill seeks to establish key existing livestock institutions in substantive law to guarantee sound regulation and order. Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute, Kenya Animal Genetics Resource Centres and Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC) and Kenya Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council are currently in existence under legal notices (subsidiary legislation).
“And through this bill, the stated institutions will be established under substantive law as an act of parliament while the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) will be reformed to establish the Kenya Livestock Research Organisation (KLRO),” said Dr. Wanga.
Wanga explained that the Bill proposes establishment of new organisations that are the Livestock Inputs and Products Regulatory Authority (LIPRA) and Livestock and Livestock Products Marketing Board (LLPMB).
LIPRA will be charged with regulating the production, manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution and sale of animal feedstuff.
Other functions include genetic resources, livestock inputs, livestock products, and undertaking capacity building in the livestock sector and setting standards for the delivery of extension services.
The role of LLPMB will be advising the national and county governments on matters relating to production and marketing of livestock and livestock products, promoting trade in livestock and livestock products, mobilizing as well as providing market intelligence on the supply of and demand for livestock and livestock products, supporting the development and rehabilitation of livestock markets’ infrastructure, collecting, collating and disseminating data on livestock are other functions.
The director noted that most of Kenya livestock is raised on natural pasture and has the potential to attract niche markets for quality assured residue free products if well promoted.
The National Assembly in June this year published the Livestock Bill 2024 which once enacted is expected to stimulate high growth and especially safeguarding the farmers against substandard services offered by fraudsters purporting to be qualified professionals.
The Association of Kenya Animal Feeds Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) lauded the bill saying it will unlock untapped potential as well as open new openings both locally and internationally.
“Livestock industry has for long lacked sound regulation leading to intrusion by quacks exploiting farmers. Due to lack of quality control, the industry has suffered from low investment. We expect the enactment of the Bill after discussion in parliament will guide in creating an enabling environment guaranteeing ethical execution of practices and policies,” said Joseph Karuri, AKEFEMA chairman.
Karuri defended the Bill saying it will not trigger high cost of doing business but provides sound regulation and protection of value chain interests which has been lacking for long. He observed that despite its contribution to the national economy the industry has been at the mercy of subsidiary legislations.
“Pursuing a substantive law will offer quality control and help in stimulating more development, mainly creating level playing ground and attracting investors,” he added.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a