Vihiga bans slaughter of cows at home
Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo at a past event. His government has banned slaughtering of livestock at home to control spread of infectious diseases like Anthrax.
Livestock officials in Vihiga County have imposed restrictions on the slaughter of animals at undesignated places, including homes, to ensure safety of meat being consumed.
The directive that has technically caused a ban on the slaughter of animals at home for the delicacy will see people who are planning funerals, weddings or other celebrations forced to use public slaughterhouses.
The latest development excludes slaughter of poultry and comes days after officials in Kisii County imposed a quarantine and launched mass vaccination of animals to curb the spread of anthrax.
County Livestock Officer Dr Darlington Kadenge directed that all the other animals that include pigs, goats, sheep and cows must be slaughtered in the 25 county government-run slaughterhouses.
He said this will help tame health risks that arise from consumption of uninspected meat.
Early this month, Kisii county announced free vaccination to combat anthrax outbreak at Sugubo in Bobasi.
The county also announced restrictions on the movement of animals in the affected area to stem infections and no animal was allowed in and out of Bobasi.
The vaccination drive and imposing restrictions on movement of cattle followed animal deaths in the area.
Vaccination
In Vihiga County, the local administration is planning to vaccinate at least 70,000 animals and construct one livestock laboratory.
The plan is contained in the county's Annual Development Plan for the 2023/24 financial year that will begin on July 1, 2023.
Dr Kadenge said the directive requiring locals to use slaughterhouses will ensure the animal's health is determined before it is killed, after it is killed and before the meat is consumed.
After it is slaughtered, Dr Kadenge added, the meat is inspected to certify whether it is fit for consumption or not.
"All livestock must be slaughtered from designated slaughterhouses. Poultry are exempted because we do not have designated places to slaughter them," said Dr Kadenge.
He went on: "Pigs, goats, sheep and cows must be taken to slaughterhouses. This will enable the meat to be inspected before it can be consumed."
"We have 25 slaughterhouses and all of them have meat inspection officers," he added.
Dr Kadenge called on the public to ensure the meat they buy from butcheries has been inspected.
He explained that inspected meat has an official rubber stamp put on it.
He said at the slaughterhouse, the animal meant for slaughter is first taken through ante-mortem inspection before it is killed and then post-mortem inspection after slaughter.
A certificate is then issued to give authority to transport the meat from slaughterhouses.
Further, items used to carry the meat for transportation are also licensed, said Dr Kadenge.
The livestock officer urged the residents to demand for proof of inspected meat in the butcheries before they can buy the delicacy.
