Health

State kicks off inspection of veterinary stores countrywide

Agriculture Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke flags off the inspection of veterinary mediciane stores across the country on April 9, 2024. (Photo: Barack Oduor)

By Barack Oduor | Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Kenya has in the past recorded trends of misuse of prescription animal medicines as narcotics, necessitating a multi-agency government approach to eliminate the vice.

The government has started countrywide inspections of veterinary medicine stores in a fresh bid to weed out substandard and fake supplies.

The initiative by the State Veterinary Medicine Department, under the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), aims to inspect more than 2,000 outlets.

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"This initiative will guarantee the safety of farmers and their livestock by ensuring that only compliant veterinary products are available to the market. It will also contribute to the government's efforts to eradicate illicit brews, alcohol, and substance abuse," Agriculture Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke said on Wednesday while launching the initiative.

Mueke assured the government's full support and called upon non-state actors in the livestock sector to offer full cooperation and sensitise the public on the importance of complying with veterinary medicine regulations.

"I appeal to non-state actors to fully cooperate with our inspectors because our initiative is meant to improve the veterinary services sector in the country," he said.

Kenya has in the past recorded trends of misuse of prescription animal medicines as narcotics, necessitating a multi-agency government approach to eliminate the vice.

Food safety concerns have also prompted government actions to mitigate the use of agrochemicals and other such substances in the livestock sector and the observance of withdrawal periods.

The veterinary department is mandated with ensuring all veterinary medicine manufacturers, distributors and agro vets comply with the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Paraprofessionals (Veterinary Medicines Directorate) Regulations, 2015 and are duly licensed.

The dealers must submit their licences to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for verification by April 5, 2024, failing which they will be deemed unlicensed and therefore illegal.

All unlicensed and non-compliant manufacturers, distributors and retailers (agrovets) will be shut down and legal proceedings instituted against the proprietors.

Additionally, all licensed veterinary doctors dispensing drugs without prescriptions will be deregistered. The agro vets, when issuing prescription drugs, must give certifications with the name and license number of the issuing officer for tracking purposes.