SPEECH BY H.E. HON. REV. MUTUMA METHINGIA GOVERNOR, MERU COUNTY DURING THE LAUNCH OF THE MASS FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD) VACCINATION EXERCISE ON 15TH OCTOBER 2025
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
SPEECH BY H.E. HON. REV. MUTUMA M’ETHINGIA GOVERNOR, MERU COUNTY DURING THE LAUNCH OF THE MASS FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD) VACCINATION EXERCISE ON 15TH OCTOBER 2025
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am greatly honoured to join you this morning for this very important occasion, the official launch of the Mass Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccination Exercise in Meru County.
Let me begin by warmly acknowledging and appreciating the distinguished guests who have joined us today: the County Commissioner, the Chief Executive Officer of Meru Dairy, members of the Presidential Economic Transformation Secretariat (PETS), the County Executive Committee Members, Honourable Members of the County Assembly, representatives from the National Government, the leadership of the Meru Dairy Union, dairy farmers, and all our valued stakeholders.
This event is a true demonstration of what we can achieve when national and county governments work hand in hand with the private sector and communities.
I particularly wish to thank the National Government, the Meru Dairy Union, for their collaborative efforts with my Government.
Our special gratitude goes to the National Agriculture Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) for the immense support they have extended to make this exercise a reality. To our dairy farmers, I salute your hard work, resilience, and unwavering contribution to the economy and food security of Meru County.
Agriculture remains the backbone of our economy, not just in Meru County, but in Kenya as a whole. It provides food, income, and employment to majority of our households. Within this sector, livestock farming holds a central place, improving livelihoods, driving economic activity, and uplifting the lives of our people.
However, we must also face the reality that the agricultural sector today is not without its challenges. Farmers are grappling with shrinking land sizes, limiting expansion and productivity. We are contending with the harsh impacts of climate change, unpredictable rainfall, extended droughts, and shifting weather patterns. At the same time, livestock farmers are facing increased incidences of animal diseases, including the highly contagious Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
This disease poses a serious threat not only to animal health but to livelihoods, food security, and market access. In the modern agricultural landscape, access to markets, especially regional and export markets, depends on the ability to assure quality of our products. Eradicating FMD will therefore unlock significant opportunities for our farmers to trade more competitively both locally and internationally.
Today’s vaccination program is a decisive step toward that goal. We have enough doses targeting 450,000 cattle.
Ordinarily, vaccinating one animal costs about Ksh 160. But through this partnership, we have worked together to ensure that this cost is significantly subsidized. Each farmer will only be required to pay Ksh 50 per animal, payable through M-PESA to ensure transparency and accountability.
