This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
As a veterinarian, I have received numerous enquiries on importing animals, both livestock and pets, and the number keeps rising each day.
Some of the animals people want to import are rare species that have only recently been domesticated as pets, while others are brought specifically for slaughter.
Animals imported for breeding have some tax exemptions, while those coming in for slaughter attract low import fees but are not exempted from tax.
Unfortunately, a majority of people rush into importing animals without seeking to understand the intricacies of the importation process.
First, there is the official procedure of importation, which must start with understanding all the government agencies involved in the importation of each type of animal and the specific requirements.
The Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) is the agency that certifies all animal imports and issues an import permit, while the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) must also issue an import permit for domesticated wild species.
There are various certifications that must be made both locally and in the country of origin, and the processes are very stringent and require accurate documentation.
Many exporters will tell you that any costs incurred on the animal after you have booked it becomes your responsibility, but this is not always the case.
For example, some animals like sheep, goats, and cattle require to be quarantined for specified periods and undergo testing for specific diseases before they can be shipped.
It is, therefore, essential to book the animals at the time they enter the quarantine and testing period to minimize the maintenance cost before shipping.
Early this year, I had an interesting case of Jayash who was keen on importing a caracal cat from Russia.
He had been told the cat had been bred in captivity and had all the Russian government papers, but when he confronted the exporter with the newly acquired information, she switched off her phone.
He had just been neatly conned.
Mwangi, on the other hand, approached me with a request for information on importation of slaughter cattle from Rwanda.
He had found a cheap source of cattle in that country, but I explained to him the operation was much more complicated than he thought.
He would be better advised to do rigorous calculations on the economic viability of his endeavour.
Since the cows were coming from Rwanda by road, he needed permits from three countries: Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
Kenya would issue the import permit, Uganda a transit permit, and Rwanda the export permit.
