This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
Urban Farming: A Growing Concern ¶
As urban farming continues to gain popularity, conflicts between farmers and property developers are becoming increasingly common. The Public Health Act, Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA), Animal Diseases Act, and Physical Planning Act are all relevant laws that guide the growth of these economic activities.
One of the major points of contention between urban farmers and other citizens is the creation of public nuisances. A public nuisance is defined as an event or occurrence that is injurious to the health of people, animals, and the environment directly or indirectly.
Dr. Joseph Mugachia, a veterinarian, recently visited a pig farm in Kahawa West, Nairobi, where he encountered a serious public health issue. The farm, owned by Muthoni, was in a state of disarray, with a strong smell of pig manure and flies buzzing in the air. The farm's waste disposal system was inadequate, and the pigs were being fed on hotel food waste, which was contributing to the problem.
After inspecting the farm, Dr. Mugachia advised Muthoni to shift her feeding from swill to commercial pig feed, which would almost eliminate the smell within two weeks. He also recommended that she connect tap water from a nearby borehole, control the flies using insecticides, and dig adequate covered waste disposal pits to compost the manure.
Within seven days, Muthoni had made significant improvements to the farm, and the county government officials confirmed that the smell and flies had heavily reduced. Dr. Mugachia visited the farm again this week and was pleased to see that the pigs were clean, the flies had almost disappeared, and the air was clean.
