The government has announced that the scheduled national livestock vaccination drive will be voluntary.
Beginning in January 2025, the government will embark on a nationwide livestock vaccination programme against diseases, targeting 22 million cattle and 50 million goats and sheep.
The programme has drawn heavy criticism. Speaking on Tuesday, December 17, Agriculture and Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke said the drive will not be mandatory.
Mueke regretted the pronouncements made by some politicians against the vaccination drive, imploring them not to politicise the programme.
He insisted that the government means good for its people and cannot conduct a vaccination knowing it will hurt the livelihood of its citizenry.
"Vaccination is not mandatory; it is voluntary. Why would we want to play politics with the livelihood of our poor people? Why would a politician go and tell a poor farmer that the government is coming to vaccinate your cattle so that you lose it? Don’t you agree? Why do we want to play politics with people’s lives? Why do we want our people to stay poor?" Mueke posed.With growing criticism over the drive, Mueke drew parallels to the initial rejection of COVID-19 vaccines by many Kenyans, in which the public attitudes shifted as the pandemic worsened.
