Kenya loses 14% of meat per animal during slaughter, says KMC

Fourteen per cent of meat per animal is lost during slaughter, Kenya Meat Commission managing commissioner Brigadier James Githaga has said. 

Githaga said the loss has negatively impacted on the country’s economy through revenue loss.

He said as a commission, they were committed to ensuring minimum losses during slaughter time.

To minimise the loses and achieve its objectives, the KMC boss said several strategies have been put in place to turn around the commission’s operations.

These include capacity building through training.

“To ensure full operationalisation, a turnaround strategy was laid down with requisite processes, policies and systems put in place. This included establishment of a robust KMC HR Policy/Programmes and instruments through the guidance and expertise from the public service,” Githaga, who spoke with the Star on Tuesday, said.

Fifty seven KMC employees graduated after successfully completing slaughter house attendants course at Meat Training Institute in Athi River, Machakos county, on Friday, October 28.

The workers were each conferred with a certificate during the graduation ceremony held at the institute. 

Githaga said the commission had crafted a Memorandum of Understanding with MTI based on Competency-Based Education and Training through targeted and scheduled training for development of KMC staff skills.

“Today graduands of the slaughter house attendant course stand out as the pilot course output of the KMC/ MTI MOU agreement,” the managing commissioner said. 

He said the training was meant to impact necessary skills, which will create career growth, motivate staff and increase work efficiency.

The training, Gichaga said, will also impact slaughtering skills of cattle and goats and build capacity for the trainees to effect hygienic process and practices in the slaughter house.

The KMC boss said the training was also intended to enforce proper inspection, grading and processing of meat and meat products in line with KMC’s business mantra of ‘A Cut Above the Best.'

 “As we celebrate the 57 graduands, I want to thank you for balancing job performance, family and training at the same time. Congratulations and well done,” Githaga said.

KMC was established on June 1, 1950, through an Act of Parliament, Cap 363 of the laws of Kenya.

Ministerial responsibility of the KMC was transferred to the Ministry of Defence from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock through a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta on September 7, 2022. 

Githaga said the activities were focused on organisation structure and staffing for KMC, Human Resource Policies and Procedures manual, career guidelines, staff renumeration, medical scheme, pension scheme, staff audit, placement of staff and training.

He said placement of staff brought about gaps in general processes hence the need for training to enhance career progression, efficiency and effectiveness in production.

Gichaga thanked the KMC’s board of commissioners for authorising the undertaking of the training.

He said KMC is also going to collaborate with MTI in undertaking further upgrading and specialised courses for the graduands to ensure professionalism, effectiveness and efficiency in operations.

MTI principal Dr Salome Kairu said it was commendable that KMC had taken the special role in the meat sector to deliver its products to Kenyans and to countries beyond the borders.

She said MTI’s vision was to train personnel from meat trade and industry in the hygienic production, inspection and processing of meat and meat products.

(edited by Amol Awuor)