Focus is on training farmers to protect animals from diseases

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana addressing the disaster response initiative. PHOTO| MILLICENT MWOLOLO

What you need to know:

  • Mr Muvevi’s cows and donkey had caught lumpy skin disease, an infectious condition that leaves wounds on the skin, and which is common during the rainy season.
  • Governor Kibwana is determined to see the young generation prioritise learning agriculture so that they can acquire skills to enhance food security.
  • In June 2017, the county government of Makueni invested in a fruit processing plant, to which farmers sell their fruits that were initially going to waste.

The floods in April and May this year wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, and Makueni County, which lies in the lower eastern part of Kenya, was one of the worst affected.

This left the locals, mainly smallholder farmers who rely on their farms and livestock for income, completely helpless. Their drought-resistant crops like cow peas, Katumani dryland maize, pigeon peas, beans, and green grams were all destroyed by the floodwaters, especially in the low lying areas of Nyunzu, which is near Kambi Mawe and Thwake rivers.

Mr Musembi Muvevi of Kithoni village, for instance, lost all his animals. Two of his goats that were stuck in the mud fell sick three days after he rescued them.

“It had rained heavily during the day. That afternoon, I went to untie the goats from the grazing field, only to find that two were missing, although their tethers were still tied to the trees. I thought they might have just run away,” says Mr Muvevi.

The downpour that evening made it impossible to look for the animals, so he had to wait until the next day. But they were nowhere in sight.

“With the help of a few young men I combed the entire village until downstream to Nyunzu, which is close to Kambi Mawe River and Thwake River. We found three goats stuck thigh-deep in the mud. Two were mine while one belonged to a neighbour,” he narrated. But as they were rescuing the goats, one fractured its left hind leg.

“I carried it home but after three days it became weaker. A week later, it died and I slaughtered it; the pancreas had enlarged. I fed the meat to the dogs and sold the hide,” Muvevi said.

REGRET

He was among the hundreds of villagers who had brought their cows, donkeys, goats and sheep to the Kikumini cattle crush in mid-June at the launch of a post-floods animal disaster response initiative in the county.

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana regretted that many farmers had lost their animals to the floods, while some animals had succumbed to post-flood diseases.

“A lot of livelihoods were compromised. Immediately after the floods, we felt there was a need to protect the animals against diseases. Some had become very weak,” said Mr Kibwana as he launched the initiative at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) grounds in Kibiko.

The weeklong exercise brought together staff from the University of Nairobi’s veterinary department, World Animal Protection, a global animal rights body, and the county government, who vaccinated livestock for post-flood disease exposure.

Two days earlier, Prof Henry Mutembei, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s Veterinary Medicine Department, had taken the university’s veterinary emergency response unit (VERU) team and county officials through a two-day training in preparation for vaccinating animals in the sub-counties.

Mr Muvevi’s cows and donkey had caught lumpy skin disease, an infectious condition that leaves wounds on the skin, and which is common during the rainy season.

The incidence of animal diseases rose considerably, Prof Kibwana said.

Some of the animals that were brought for vaccination and treatment PHOTO| MILLICENT MWOLOLO


Indeed, Mr Peter Mwangangi, a local veterinary officer, noted that cases of pneumonia had risen, especially among goats and sheep.

“Pneumonia is a viral disease and most of these cases are due to the movement of animals within the nearby market centres. As the animals are moved from market to market, the disease spreads,” he said.

However, most of the villagers who lost their animals to the floods did not report their losses. “Only 65 households reported that they had lost their animals. But we get many unreported cases during out door-to-door visits,” he said.

The event attracted men and women alike. Ms Damaris James, for instance, walked four kilometres with her cattle, goats, and sheep to have them vaccinated and treated. She knows that vaccination protects livestock against diseases. In December 2017, her dogs were given anti-rabies shots.

“It is safer and cost-effective to vaccinate than to treat and risk losing animals to diseases,” said Ms James, 24.

The farmers were also taught about disaster preparedness to enable them to mitigate the effects. This will ensure that they do not lose all their livestock and crops to subsequent floods, said Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries CEC Lawrence Nzunga. Mr Nzunga said farmer education in disaster management will help curb post-flood diseases.

The initiative saw goats and cattle get vaccinated against pneumonia. “The animals have been dewormed, and they have also received antibiotic pour-on treatment on their skin to guard against ectoparasites such as lice, fleas and ticks,” explained Mr Mwangangi.

County Livestock Minister Lawrence Nzunga. PHOTO| MILLICENT MWOLOLO

At the Mulaani cattle crush in Kikumuni Location, more than 250 households came on the first day.

“It is only 11am but we have already vaccinated more than 5,000 livestock; the exercise will be a success,” he added.

By the end of the week, more than 201,000 animals had been vaccinated and treated for various diseases. “The exercise went well and we were able to cover two sub-counties in a day,” said Prof Mutembei.
The animals were also treated for worms, and infections and given antibiotic shots. “Some of the animals were suffering, but they have been treated and will be under the supervision of the county veterinary unit,” said Prof Mutembei.
The exercise is in line with the national socio-economic development blueprint, Prof Kibwana noted.

“This is part of the post-flood disaster response to cushion our farmers. It supports the national government’s “Big Four” agenda since it enhances food security,” he said, adding that boosting the livestock’s immunity is a boon to the farmers, since it means fewer deaths.

“This is good for the economy. When animals are healthy, they fetch better prices in the market, earning the farmers more,” he said.

Besides, farmers will not have to treat their livestock frequently, saving them money.

The mass vaccinations keep both the farmers and county staff informed.

Musembi Muvevi takes his cow for vaccination. PHOTO| MILLICENT MWOLOLO

“There is a lot of agricultural extension work going on, and this has helped farmers improve the quality and quantity of their products,” said Prof Kibwana.

He added that the weeklong initiative had taught county staff disaster response and animal protection skills. The county teams now also know which diseases are likely to follow floods and to how to respond, added Mr Nzunga.

BUILDING RESILIENCE

Other counties can learn from Makueni how to build resilience among small older farmers, said Dr Judy Kimaru, disaster manager for Africa at World Animal Protection.

“We want to build the county staff’s capacity in management in order to build resilience among rural populations. There is no better way to do this, than to empower the smallholder farmers,” she noted.

However, the post-flood crop crisis could affect the governor’s idea of a food-secure county. Mr Muvevi and Ms James are among the hundreds of smallholder farmers in whose crop, mainly pigeon peas, green grams, maize and beans were destroyed by the floods. “I was expecting a very good harvest following the rains, but with so much water, I might not harvest as much,” Mr Muvevi observed.

A drought could be looming. “Most of the crops, especially the drought-resistant ones like peas, green grams and a lot of maize crop were badly affected by water. The harvest is going to be way much lower, meaning that a food shortage is likely to hit earlier, even in two months’ time” observed Kikumini Chief Hollings Mutisya.

Access to water has improved considerably in Kikumini Location in the past few years. The Athi Dam and boreholes supply the locals with water.

“Both the national and county governments have invested in boreholes and piped water. There are community-owned water points located five to 10 kilometres apart, where they pay Sh3 for a 20-litre jerrican. Besides, a good number of the locals are served by private wells and boreholes and seasonal streams.

“However, I can foresee a water crisis once we get to the dry season from August through November this year as most of the water dams were swept away by the floods,” said Mr Mutisya. The locals might not have as many water sources; it will be mainly boreholes and shallow wells, which might be inadequate.

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Helping smallholder farmers’ gain financial independence

The county government has been working hard to enable smallholder farmers to earn decent livelihoods. “Devolution has to translate into economic independence. To smallholder farmers, investing in the agriculture value chain is a very crucial element as they will get high quality yields and earn more,” said Prof Kivutha Kibwana.

In June 2017, the county government invested in a fruit processing plant, to which farmers sell their fruits. “This has seen them earn better incomes and has saved them from losses.

Initially, 40 per cent of locally-grown mangoes and oranges in Makueni County would go to waste,” said the governor. He added that with higher incomes, the locals can now consider better ways of living like enrolling their children in schools and generally, afford a better life. “Agriculture is the core of enabling rural populations navigate economic challenges,” he observed.

The county boss is determined to see the young generation prioritise learning agriculture. Teaching of agriculture will be improved in local schools so that learners can get skills to enhance food security, he said. Meanwhile, Mr Agriculture CEC Lawrence Nzunga hinted that the county government plans to absorb veterinary medicine graduates from the University of Nairobi. “We will give them internships to back up our teams,” said Mr Nzunga.

The World Animal Protection is running a global campaign, “Animals in disaster”, through which they are strongly asking African governments to include animals in their policies. Kenya has ratified the National Disaster Management Policy and National Fund.

“We would like the national government to consider allocating at least 5 per cent of that fund to animals. This is because animals are affected a lot in times of disaster,” shared Dr Judy Kimaru.

As common practice, disaster management funds are allocated only for people, with livestock sneaked into the budget under “miscellaneous”. World Animal Protection spent Sh5 million on the entire exercise.

Of all the animals that the villagers keep, the donkey is the most beneficial. “A donkey hauls water over long distances, carries goods to market centres and pulls the plough on farms. It assists the local farmer a lot,” said Mr Mutisya.

Besides, it is suited for the harsh and dry weather, given that it consumes less foliage and can survive with little water compared with cows.