- Munya swore an affidavit saying his actions were guided by a policy direction given by the head of public service on appointment of public servants to boards of state corporations, including the Kenya Veterinary Board.
- The board’s roles are to advise the government on matters pertaining to training, research, practice and employment, use of veterinary medicines, poisons and pesticides.
Image: Alice Waithera
Veterinarians have urged Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya to gazette the Kenya Veterinary Board to save the sector from imminent collapse.
Animal Health Technicians and Technologies Association of Kenya has said since Munya degazetted some of the board members over a year ago, the sector has remained in limbo, with critical roles neglected.
On January 6 last year, Munya published a gazette notice in which he revoked the appointment of the five members who were serving a three-year term from 2018 to 2021.
Two of the members, however, filed a suit at Milimani law courts on February 9, 2021, seeking to have the revocation quashed and Munya prohibited from interfering with the election of members.
Their terms were ending in March 20, 2021.
However, Munya swore an affidavit saying his actions were guided by a policy direction given by the head of public service on appointment of public servants to boards of state corporations, including the Kenya Veterinary Board.
The law, Munya said, prohibits a public officer from holding two jobs and earning two salaries in public service.
Munya said the five degazetted members were all serving in different positions in the government, adding that his actions were procedural.
Justice Jairus Ngaah dismissed the revocations as "procedural impropriety" saying Munya was aware that their term was ending.
“Apart from the absence of powers to revoke the appointment of the five, the CS flouted Section 4(3) of the Fair Administrative Action Act. They were not informed of his intentions until after he had made the impugned decision,” the judge said.
Following the lapse of their term, veterinary surgeons and para-professionals held elections but said the CS is yet to gazette the names of the selectees which has hindered the operations of the board.
The board’s roles are to advise the government on matters pertaining to training, research, practice and employment, use of veterinary medicines, poisons and pesticides.
It is also charged with the role of prescribing courses of training for veterinary professionals and para-professionals in consultation with training institutions.
The board also registers, licenses, controls and regulates veterinary practice, laboratories, clinics and animal hospitals.
According to the veterinary surgeons and veterinary para-professionals Act, the board should also discipline errant practitioners and ensure the standards of practice are maintained.
Paul Kariuki, the chairperson of AHTA said the un-operationalisation of the board has affected numerous veterinary graduates who cannot be registered.
“The board is vital as it deals with policies on management of animals and their health matters,” Kariuki said.
Lack of a board, he noted, has also caused an influx of quacks because of lack of enforcement of the code of practice.
This, he added, jeopardises the quality of animal products consumed in the country especially milk and meat, and exposes Kenyans to anti-microbial resistance due to poor treatment of their livestock.
“The quacks do not tell farmers that they need to avoid animal products for a given period of time after administration of certain drugs,” he said.
"Agro-vets on the other hand, freely sell animal drugs that unqualified vets then use to treat livestock and end up causing insurmountable harm."
“Many farmers then sell meat and milk laden with drugs to their local outlets which then reaches unsuspecting customers,” he added.
Oreste Kuria, the association’s programmes coordinator said most of the registered veterinarians are well organised and follow the law.
He said Munya was wrong to interfere with the appointment of board members yet there laws governing the process.
“If changes to the law are needed, we are the ones who helped draft the act and we have the capacity to change it,” he added.
Kuria said before the board was paralysed, it had made major strides in regulating the sector, adding that it has been opened to unscrupulous vets.
“We are asking Munya that when we present him with a list of elected members, his work is only to publish it as the process is well controlled,” he said.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)