Chicken at a farm. [Photo/farmerstrend.co.ke]
Are you a chicken dealer in Lamu with no business permit? Be warned because you could soon be arrested, charged and jailed.
According to Lamu East veterinary officer Dancan Mkiwalo, there is a high number of business people in the sub county who buy and sell chicken but have no trade permits.
This, he said, has led to an increase in cases of poultry disease outbreaks in the sub county.
“There are people here who buy chicken from as far as Kwale and come and sell in Lamu but have never applied for business permits,” he said on Tuesday.
“Of late we have had an unprecedented rise in poultry disease and there is no doubt that this dealers have contributed in one way or another.”
He said anyone who intends to trade in poultry and poultry products must acquire a business license before engaging in the business.
Mkiwalo said anyone found transacting poultry business without a trade license will not be spared.
Poultry trade in Lamu is among the most flourishing businesses because of the presence of upscale hotels booked by tourists who visit the Coast region.
Traders buy the chicken from elsewhere and sell them to the hospitality facilities.
One of the poultry diseases Mkiwala said had become common in Lamu is the highly infectious Newcastle ailment.
With business licenses, he said, traders will be required to present the poultry for screening before allowed to ferry to other regions.
This will limit chances of transporting already infected poultry to other regions he said.