Farmers lose 300 goats to disease

• Livestock keepers say animals killed by Rift Valley Fever but vet cites CCPP

More than 300 goats have died in the last one month in East Pokot District following an outbreak of a disease suspected to be Rift Valley Fever.

Kolloa Division residents said that at least 10 farmers in Kolloa and Kaisagat locations had lost half of their stocks and appealed to the government to intervene to avert more deaths.

Pastor Job Rutto of the Africa Inland Church said the symptoms of the disease included coughing, diarrhoea, mucus in the nostrils and foaming in the mouth.

“When slaughtered, the lungs are smaller than usual and dark in colour,” the cleric said.

Pastor Rutto, who is also the representative of livestock keepers from Kolloa at the District Steering Group, complained that even though they had reported the matter to the relevant authorities, no action had been taken to address the plight of the farmers.

“We fear that if the trend continues, we will end up losing all our goats,” he said, adding that the first symptoms were noticed three months ago.

Contacted for comment, East Pokot District Veterinary Officer Joseph Lang’at said he suspected the killer disease to be the contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP).

“A resident bought a goat from Kolloa recently and brought it to Chemolingot and within a few days the other goats were infected and some died,” Dr Lang’at said.

He said samples had been taken to Kabete veterinary laboratory for testing, but the results were not yet out.

The veterinary officer denied receiving any complaints from livestock keepers in Kolloa, but advised those affected to treat the sick animals with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

“We have also deployed our officers to ascertain the farmers’ claims,” Dr Lang’at said.

However, Pastor Rutto said most farmers could not afford to treat their animals as the drugs were expensive. He said he had spent more than Sh5,000 to treat his goats, but they still died.

Dr Lang’at said plans were underway for his office to roll out vaccination of livestock in Churo, Tangulbei and Kolloa areas next month with assistance from VSF Belgium — an international non-governmental organisation.

He advised farmers in the affected areas in Kolloa to quarantine their animals within the affected locations to curb further spread of the disease.