A section of Makongeni herders have appealed the Thika sub-county Veterinary Department to help them identify a unknown disease that they say have been killing their animals over the past two weeks now.
Speaking on Wednesday at their grazing area in Makongeni, the herders said that the disease seems to be infectious as the healthy animals are becoming sick after they come into contact with the sick ones.
"I have lost four calves and one mature cow so far. Initially, it was only one calf that was sick but I noted after some few days that the other three calves living with the sick one also got infected. I separated them from the rest of the herd and they died few days later after all the drugs I was administering on them failed," said Jeremiah Kamau, a herder.
John Ole Kisiemei, a Maasai herder said that the same plight has befallen him.
"Last week on Friday when grazing the animals on the field, one cow lay down and I thought it was just taking a rest. It was however, not the case as it refused to wake up and attempts to help the animal wake up with a group of other grazers proved futile. It later died on the same spot that evening," Kisiemei said.
The herders now want the veterinary department to visit the area and help them identify the problem and save them from incurring further losses.
"We are shocked by the death of the animals and if veterinarians can be deployed here to help us, we would be very grateful. Our efforts so far to curb the menace have not worked," Samuel Njenga said.