From 14-17 December, 2021, AU-IBAR in partnership with the State Department for Livestock and Kenya Dairy Board held a sensitization and review meeting on several dairy and livestock policy instruments for the Kenya Agricultural Parliamentary Committee. The instruments comprised the Dairy Industry Act Cap 336, the Livestock Bill 2021, the ANITRAC regulations and the Livestock Master Plan.
The participants in the meeting included Hon. Silas Kipkoech Tiren, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Agricultural Committee, Honorable Members of the Parliamentary Agricultural Committee, Mr. Harry Kimtai, Principal Secretary, State Department of Livestock, Madam Margaret Kibogy, Managing Director Kenya Dairy Board, Dr. Christopher Wanga, Director of Livestock Policy Research and Regulations, SDL; Members of the Task Force on the Kenya Dairy Industry Bill; Officials from the Republic of Kenya Parliament; Officials from the Kenya Dairy Board; Officials from the State Department of Livestock; Members of the Task Force on the Kenya Livestock Master Plan; and AU-IBAR staff.
Above some participants of the workshop
The objectives of the retreat were to;
i. Sensitize the Parliamentary Committee on the importance of revising the Dairy Industry Act Cap 336, the Livestock Bill 2021, the ANITRAC regulations and the development of the Livestock Master Plan and the proposed revision timelines.
ii. Present the Draft Dairy Industry Bill 2021, the Livestock Bill 2021, the ANITRAC Regulations and the Livestock Master Plan to the Agricultural Parliamentary Committee and receive their feedback.
iii. Lobby the Agricultural Parliamentary Committee to support the processing of the Bills and Regulations in and outside Parliament.
iv. Lobby the Agricultural Parliamentary Committee to support the processing of the Bills and Regulations in and outside Parliament.
v. Lobby the Agricultural Parliamentary Committee for budgetary support towards the development of the Livestock Masterplan.
A conducive policy, legal and institutional framework is critical to the growth of the Kenyan dairy industry. The review of the Dairy Industry Act Cap 336, like all other policies, legislations and regulations, complies with the procedures set out in the Kenyan constitution and other legislations. These procedures, among others, require adequate and effective consultations with key stakeholders, public participation, and validation of the legal drafts by the stakeholders.
Since its enactment, the Dairy Industry Act Cap 336 has not been subjected to a major revision although several regulations to support the implementation of the Act have been developed and reviewed over time. The latest review of the regulations was in 2021. With major legal, political, technological, and social changes that have taken place in the last few years, the effectiveness of the Act as a legal and regulatory tool to manage the safety of dairy produce has become limited.
The presentation of the development of the Livestock Master Plan (LMP) made by Mrs. Josephine Kamau of the State Department of Livestock understored the critical role of the plan to enabling planned, effective and efficient investment in the Livestock Sector & leading to increased contribution of the sector to the national economy, food and nutrition security and improved livelihoods.
During the official opening of the workshop Dr. Sarah Ossiya, spoke on behalf of AU-IBAR’s Acting Director Dr. Nick Nwankpa, and noted that AU-IBAR has a long and productive relationship with the Government of Kenya, which has hosted it since its inception.
Of recent AU-IBAR supported the consultative processes to strengthen stakeholder inputs into the Dairy Regulation and a Consultation, Sensitization and Capacity Building Exercise with the Parliamentary Committee on Delegated Legislation, a statutory requirement in the process of development of the Dairy Regulations.
She added that AU-IBAR is currently partnering with the Government of Kenya on a number of important activities including the review and update of the Kenya dairy value chain as part of the wider East Africa process of upgrading and strengthening the competitiveness of the regional dairy value chain, development of a harmonized regional dairy value chain development strategy, and institutionalization of an East Africa Dairy Regulatory Authorities Forum within the EAC Secretariat, for greater coordination of regulatory matters in the region.
The workshop yielded several outputs, among which included;
i. Sensitization of the Agricultural Parliamentary Committee on the review of the Dairy Industry Act Cap 336, the Livestock Bill 2021, the ANITRAC Regulations and the development of the Livestock Master Plan.
ii. Input and recommendations from the Agricultural Parliamentary Committee on the Draft Dairy Industry Bill 2021 and the ANITRAC Regulations.
iii. Report of the retreat
iv. Commitment for budgetary support towards the development of the Livestock Master Plan.
AU-IBAR’s support towards this initiative is under the Livestock for Livelihoods Project (Live2Africa) under funding by the European Union. The Live2Africa Project contributes to building systemic capacity for an enabling environment for growth of the livestock sector; and is taking catalytic action along priority regional value chains to trigger both commercialization and inclusive sector transformation for at scale increase in livestock production, productivity, value addition and trade.
Access: Speech; Acting Director, AU-IBAR
