Kenyans Are Not Guinea Pigs: Mutahi Kagwe On Cattle Vaccination
He made it clear that no product tested in other countries that has been banned will be allowed in the Kenyan market.
Marvin Chege 
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary nominee Mutahi Kagwe on Tuesday, January 14 affirmed that Kenya will not be used as a testing ground for foreign scientific experiments, particularly by outside forces.
Kagwe, a former Health CS, made these affirmations during his vetting by the National Assembly Committee on Appointments, assuring that under his leadership, the ministry will not approve any foreign products for consumption in Kenya if they are not being consumed in the countries of origin.
He made it clear that no product tested in other countries that has been banned will be allowed in the Kenyan market. The products also include the vaccines set to be used during the livestock vaccination campaign scheduled to commence in 2025.
"Whether GMO, whether pesticide, whether fertilizer, if that product is not being used in its country of origin, it will not be used in Kenya. Decisions will be made on the basis of science and data," he assured.
A photo of Boran cattle. /MPALA LIVE
"There will be no product that is going to be sold in this country, under my watch, in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock that is going to be a product being tested here. We are not Guinea pigs. We will not be used by anybody as Guinea pigs."
Notably, Wiper Party Leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, on November 15, 2024, while opposing the planned programme, lamented that the frontrunners of the plan do not carry out the same vaccination programmes in their own nations, where they have considerably more animals than Kenya and, therefore greater contributors to “harmful climate change.”
He noted, with alarm that the vaccinations that were developed overseas, have been rejected everywhere else in the world, including their home country, the United States of America (USA).
During the presser, Kalonzo called on President William Ruto to intervene and protect Kenyans against destructive foreign experiments that he claimed could cause endless damage to the country and the content as a whole.
Meanwhile, with regard to the planned exercise, the former Nyeri Senator assured that the government would not force Kenyans into vaccinating the livestock since the animals are owned by Kenyans, arguing that the vaccine could only be administered if farmers gave direct permission.
“The point of the matter is that the cow belongs to an individual. The matter is simple. Here is a vaccine for foot and mouth disease. You have a goat. Do you want the goat to be vaccinated? You say yes, we vaccinate. You say no, we don’t vaccinate,’’ Kagwe said.
While clearing the air on the controversial livestock vaccination drive, Kagwe promised to engage experts and other stakeholders to create proper public awareness of the importance of the jab if approved by the House.
He stated that effective communication will fast-track progress on the cattle vaccination which aims to deal with anthrax, foot and mouth disease, rift valley fever, African swine fever and rinderpest diseases that affect livestock in Kenya.
“There’s no farmer who is going to refuse to protect his herd is alternative is if the herd is going to die. What has been missing is communication of what’s at stake if they are not vaccinated and that choices have consequences,” he promised.
The CS nominee promised to establish a robust communication system led by experts to strengthen the fight against livestock diseases and prepare cattle for foreign markets.
The Ministry has assured livestock owners that the vaccines are safe and locally produced. President William Ruto has criticized opponents of the vaccination program, arguing that they are hindering livestock owners from accessing international markets.
According to the World Health Organization, animal vaccination is essential for preventing and controlling the spread of these diseases.
The Ministry of Agriculture reports that only 10% of animals have been vaccinated so far. It emphasizes that the vaccination rate needs to increase to 85% to make livestock products eligible for export.
