Chicken meat in Kenya not fit for human consumption

A regional watchdog has expressed concerns over the quality of meat being consumed by Kenyans, noting that some of the chicken meat is not fit for human consumption.

Speaking during a meeting sponsored by the African Union at Fish Eagle Hotel in Naivasha, the African regional director for the World Animal Protection organisation, Tennyson Williams, said cases of farmers using drugs to hasten the growth of poultry were on the rise as unscrupulous traders try to meet rising demand.

Williams warned that this would have far reaching effects on human beings as some of the poultry in the market are ‘maturing’ in less than a month, and as a result consumers are being exposed to various chemicals that have serious health effects.

Wachira Kariuki, CEO Pan African Animal Welfare Association, concurred with Williams and added that there was urgent need to sensitize the public and come up with policies on animal welfare in the country.

Kariuki pointed out that the issue of animal welfare was not well understood which has seen Kenya’s products to the EU market face resistance due to the strict standards imposed in these countries.

The CEO admitted that funding towards animal welfare was still a major challenge, making it hard to get full and appropriate data but noted that various stakeholders, including the government, were in the process of coming up with policies and regulations regarding the issue.

The meeting was aimed at coming up with a policy and regulations to address animal welfare across the continent.