County to vaccinate cattle amid reports of disease outbreak
Cattle brought to the Kenya Meat Commission for slaughter in Kibarani, Mombasa, on February 8, 2017. Kirinyaga County will soon start vaccinating cows after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Governor Joseph Ndathi sought to assure residents that enough drugs will be purchased to prevent animals from contracting the disease.
Mr Ndathi urged locals not to panic, saying his government will deal with the matter.
Kirinyaga County has set aside Sh4 million to vaccinate more than 80,000 cattle following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Governor Joseph Ndathi sought to assure residents that enough drugs will be purchased to prevent animals from contracting the disease.
"An outbreak of the disease has been reported in the region and all animals will be vaccinated," he told the residents in Kirwara village after inspecting development projects.
Mr Ndathi urged locals not to panic, saying his government will deal with the matter.
"There should be no cause for alarm. We are fully prepared to buy enough drugs to vaccinate all the animals against this disease," he said.
He directed veterinary officers to monitor the situation.
To manage the disease effectively, he told residents to cooperate with county officers by reporting any cases of suspicious animal behaviours.
Additionally, he announced that Sh10 million will be used to buy relief food for residents facing hunger as a consequence of the nationwide drought.
