Residents of Nyakach Sub-County have been cautioned against buying any meat that has not been inspected and certified as safe for consumption by Public Health Officers.
Kisumu County Executive (CEC) for Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Production, Gilchrist Okuom, issued the warning following reports that over 40 cattle died at Urudi village, Asao Location in Nyakach in a suspected case of poisoning.
Okuom said he dispatched a team of Public Health and veterinary officers on the ground to find out what exactly transpired and to institute measures to contain the situation.
The County Executive also revealed that laboratory officers from Kericho County have been brought on board to test the animal carcasses, as the first step towards investigations over the matter.
“It is in view of this that I call upon Kisumu residents, especially those in Nyakach and neighboring Sub counties to refrain from buying meat that has not been duly inspected in the designated slaughter houses,” warned Okuom
He pointed out that some of the affected animals were still alive by the time the team arrived on the ground, but their health continued to deteriorate, hence the need to caution members of the public against buying meat from such livestock.
Okuom said 28 animals had so far been confirmed dead but the numbers could rise with time, as more of them were said to be in critical condition.
Subsequently, the County Executive has ordered that the carcasses be buried with immediate effect under the watchful eye of the Public Health Officers.
Okuom appealed for calm among those who lost their animals, pointing out that they could not immediately establish whether the incident was as a result of accident, or malice from unknown people with a view to antagonizing local residents.
By Joseph Ouma and Milton Onyango
