Animal Bill raises storm among veterinarians

By Peter Opiyo and James Ratemo

Veterinary doctors say Animal Technicians Bill, passed by Parliament last week could cause a public health breakdown in the country’s Sh160 billion livestock industry.

Under the aegis of African Veterinary Association, the doctors said the Bill will make it legal for semi-skilled technicians to treat animals, and would open the public to health risks.

"The Bill allows semi-skilled animal health technicians and other non-defined cadres to treat animals unsupervised, opening the unsuspecting public to risks," they said.

But Laisamis MP, Joseph Lekuton, who sponsored the Bill, said the proposed law would shield the livestock sector from neglect and perennial understaffing.

Cannot Practice

The Bill allows middle-cadre technicians, who have undergone training, to practice. Currently, this cadre is not allowed to practice, despite being trained. The Bill aims to enhance disease surveillance and strengthen disease control to avoid losses.

But Dr Christopher Wanga, the Chairman of the Kenya Vetetinary Association, said the Bill will only retard development in the livestock sector, and asked President Kibaki not to assent it into law.

"There is no other country in the world with such a law. When we establish institutions in law which go against international requirements, we shall hurt the livestock industry in Kenya," said Dr Wanga.

However, Lekuton said the Bill would strengthen and empower the practice of animal technicians. It also creates Animal Technicians Council to regulate animal health care through training, registration, and licensing of trained animal technicians in the country.

Lekuton said there is ‘legal nudity’ in the current legal framework, as it fails to address the needs of animal technicians.

"The entire legal framework does not provide any substantive and procedural essentials for animal technicians. Most of the Acts relate to animal health care. The result, therefore, is that the practice of animal technicians, which is very crucial to this country, goes about in a state of virtual legal nudity," said Lekuton.

Livestock sub sector contributes 13 per cent of the country’s GDP, and 80 per cent of people in arid and semi-arid areas rely on livestock as their primary source of livelihood.