Livestock farmers are set to follow new regulations or risk hefty fines if the newly proposed Livestock Bill 2024 is passed without alterations. The bill defines livestock as including camels, cattle, pigs, poultry, bees, sheep, goats, lagomorphs, companion animals, and draught animals. It also covers any emerging livestock, or any wild animal, bird, or reptile in a state of captivity, including their young ones.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The bill sponsored by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah if passed is expected to regulate and develop livestock and livestock products, research and capacity building in the livestock sector and the establishment of livestock agencies.
Ichung’wah revealed that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) would be responsible for the salaries of the agencies’ employees.
If passed, the bill will regulate all livestock farmers including beekeepers who will be required to register. The bill introduces restrictions on setting up hives, the disposal of bees, honeycombs and hives and the importation of bees.
Anyone who violates this regulation commits an offence and faces the fine prescribed by the bill. Under the proposed bill, several institutions will be established including the Livestock Inputs and Product Regulatory Authority, Kenya Livestock Research Organisation, Livestock and Livestock Products Marketing Board and Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Institute.
Others are; The Kenya Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council, Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre and the Kenya Leather Development Authority. Additionally, the bill if enacted, will also introduce new training institutions such as Animal Health and Industry Training which will be set up in Kabete, Nyahururu and Ndomba.
Others include; The Meat Training Institute in Athi River, The Dairy Training Institute in Naivasha, the Livestock Training Institute in Wajir, and the National Beekeeping Institute in Lenana.
The Livestock Training Institutions Examinations Board will also be established to examine all students and also issue certificates.
“The livestock training institutions shall be responsible for the development and review of training curricula, the discipline of trainees in the livestock training institutes, assessment and conduct of examinations for academic programmes and conducting research in livestock sciences and disseminate the research findings, among others,” read part of the bill.
If implemented, the bill will also introduce fines that will affect all livestock farmers who violate the regulations. If anyone feeds an animal food not authorised by the respective authority risks a Ksh500,000 fine or 12 months imprisonment.
Additionally, any person who brands or removes branding on an animal without consent or in violation of the provisions of the act commits an offence and faces a fine of up to Ksh100,00 or six months in jail or both.
No person shall import, manufacture, compound, mix or sell any feedstuff that is not authorised or does not conform to the standards or specifications of the regulations or will face a fine of Ksh500,000 or 1-year imprisonment or both.
Also, any person who sells feeds with deleterious ingredients faces a Ksh1 million fine two years imprisonment or both.
Deleterious feedstuffs were listed as any substance prohibited by regulations and present in the animal feeds above the limit prescribed by regulations.
Per the bill, any person who commits an offence whose fine is not stipulated in the bill faces a fine of Ksh500,000 or 1 year in prison. Anyone who sells any feeds without a valid license faces a Ksh500,000 fine or 12 months imprisonment…CONTINUE READING>>
