Cattle dips repaired in West Pokot to control ticks

West Pokot has repaired and reopened 105 cattle dips that had stopped operating for many years due to poor management.

Speaking on Monday at Mnagei while reopening the dip, Governor John Lonyangapuo said the county-wide dip project aims to eliminate tick-related diseases.

Healthy animals mean more income as sick animals cannot be slaughtered and their meat marketed in Kenya and overseas.

“Livestock keeping contributes immensely to the growth of the economy of this county, that’s why we want farmers to reap huge profits,” the governor said.

He said the government had erected barricades to ensure the dips function properly. The county provided funds to rehabilitate the dips in Mnagei and Siyoi wards.

Longyangapuo encouraged farmers to use the nearest cattle dips every weekend as pest control at home was ineffective.

He also said the Nasukuta abattoir is almost complete and the county wants to ensure there are enough healthy animals to supply it.

“Our slaughterhouse is 70 per cent complete and my government is ensuring the abattoir doesn't run short of resources," the governor said.

The county is aiming for international exports, so it is investing heavily in disease control.

“Reviving the dips is crucial in making our county disease-free  and ensuring we supply quality meet to all markets in the country," he said.

“We want to protect our consumers since we sell a larger percentage of meat,” he said.

The governor said his administration wants to protect farmers from incurring huge losses and it must help control livestock diseases.

(Edited by V. Graham)