This archive report was first published on 18 November 2021.
Kenya's high net importation of meat is a stark contrast to its second-largest reserves of livestock in Africa, with the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands occupying 80 percent of the country's region.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the country's livestock sector accounts for 12 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with exports of meat and its products accounting for 1.1 percent of exports in the financial year 2020.
Speaking at the launch of Kenya's first-ever meat expo, Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya revealed that four laws are undergoing the consultative process in parliament to improve the livestock sector.
"To demonstrate the importance attached by the government to the meat industry, reforms on policy, legislation, and institutional governance have been placed for the livestock sector," Munya said in a speech read by Principal Secretary Harry Kimutai.
The four laws – the Livestock Bill, Veterinary Public Health Bill, Animal Welfare and Protection Bill – aim to address emerging challenges and make the livestock sector modern and competitive as envisioned in Vision 2030.
The government plans to complete developing a comprehensive livestock master plan within the next six months, which will enable the creation of a conducive and regulatory environment to ensure the industry thrives.
"The purpose of this review is to remove ambiguities and align them with the spirit of devolution to address emerging challenges and make the livestock sector modern and competitive as envisioned in Vision 2030," Munya added.
The two-day expo, themed 'Safe Meat for Nutrition, Health, and Wealth Creation,' aims to provide a platform for knowledge exchange, network, and technology transfers among key stakeholders in the industry.
