Members of the Uasin Gishu County Assembly have passed a motion asking the county executive to come up with laws and regulations on the control and welfare of stray dogs.
This follows concerns over the increasing number of stray dogs in several estates within Eldoret town.
While moving the motion, Kuinet/Kapsusa MCA Rebbeca Chepchirchir Magut lamented that for the last few years; at least three people have been killed by stray dogs.
The most recent incident, the MCA says is last month, after a nurse was killed by stray dogs.
“Last month, I lost a resident in Kuinet/Kapsuswa in the Greenfield area who was bitten by dogs and after 15 days he passed away. In 2019, we lost a lady around the block 10 area, also bitten by dogs and nothing has been done to stop the menace,” she said.
Animal rights
MCA Chepchirchir further said efforts to address the menace have had no success due to animal rights that do not allow the killing of dogs.
She argues that only relevant laws can help ensure the safety of locals from stray dogs.
Animal protection is mandated in Kenya through the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1962. The Act makes it an offence for an individual to kill animals, including dogs.
“If we keep quiet, we’re going to lose so many people. We lost a nurse who would be giving services to the locals – also to the dogs. It’s unfortunate that we have animal rights, but I don’t know what we can say when the dogs kill people,” said the Kuinet/Kapsuswa MCA.
Some of the areas where the MCAs say there are many stray dogs are around the Eldoret slaughterhouse and Block 10, near the Eldoret Airstrip.
A majority of the MCAs who contributed to the motion supported it.
Nominated MCA Roda Chelagat said having laws and regulations would provide a clear guideline on how to handle the stray dogs’ menace.
Chelagat pointed out that dogs pose a risk to not only human beings, especially children, but also to locals’ crops.
Deputy Speaker Sarah Malel who presided over the motion directed that it be forwarded to the County Executive for immediate action by the Department of Livestock.
