Samburu: The Africa Veterinary Technicians Association (AVTA) has called on Samburu County to enhance the autonomy of its veterinary department as a strategic measure to tackle the persistent issue of cattle rustling.
According to Kenya News Agency, AVTA President Benson Ameda highlighted the collapse of the devolved function tasked with overseeing the movement of animals and animal products. This collapse, he stated, is due to county governments' failure to effectively monitor these movements.
Ameda pointed out that livestock theft has become increasingly easy due to the proliferation of unlicensed slaughterhouses, butcheries, fake meat stamps, and unlicensed meat carriers. He attributed this situation to the veterinary department's lack of capacity and political support needed to address unscrupulous meat dealers.
To effectively curb cattle rustling, Ameda stressed the importance of training veterinarians and meat inspectors in slaughterhouses. He advocated for empowering them to make independent decisions to prevent the slaughter of stolen animals without facing victimization.
He also noted that veterinarians can often identify stolen animals and fake movement permits. However, when they attempt to revoke these permits, they face threats and transfers from county leadership, forcing them to comply unwillingly.
Ameda asserted that if illegal animal slaughter occurs in a particular area, the County Director of Veterinary Services and meat inspectors should be held accountable. He believes that under scrutiny, they could expose the cartels involved in cattle theft.
Furthermore, Ameda called for collaboration between law enforcement and veterinarians to audit all unlicensed slaughterhouses, butcheries, and meat carriers as part of the effort to combat cattle rustling.