President Uhuru Kenyatta has put the Kenya Meat Commission under the Ministry of Defense. This means that the military will now run the cash strapped outlet in a move that is aimed at boosting its operations and survival.
This transfer was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Peter Munya. “Following the transfer of ministerial responsibility of the Kenya Meat Commission to the ministry of defence by the President, you are directed to facilitate a seamless transfer of Kenya Meat Commission to the ministry of defence,” Mr. Munya said in a memo that is dated September 7.
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The memo from Munya was addressed to the principal secretary, state department for livestock, and copied to the KMC Managing Commissioner James Ole Seriani. Mr. Munya further directed officials there to ensure they coordinate the entire exercise with the National Treasury and transfer the associated budgets at the next scheduled supplementary budget.
Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture revealed plans to sell Kenya Meat Commission to a private investor as the government sought more capital to revive the ailing parastatal. The ministry said that the privatisation of the firm will make it economical viable and boost export of animal products from Kenya to other countries.
“We have four international slaughterhouses and we are also building additional ones in four Counties. In total, we are going to have eight export slaughter houses. KMC has had its fair share of challenges which might not be addressed in any other way than through privatisation,” the ministry said. The Athi River-based plant joined the list of 26 other government parastatals that had been earmarked by the Privatisation Commission for sale to strategic investors. The plant slaughters 200 cattle per week, despite it having the capacity to process the same number of animals per day.