Pastoralist communities in Tana county claim Finance minister Njeru Githae failed to allocate more funds to the Ministry of Livestock. Livestock Trading and Marketing Society of Kenya secretary Dara Abubakar yesterday said the ministry should have been allocated more funds because it has many challenges.

Abubakar said it was due to lack of funds in the ministry that the community is facing a shortage of veterinary officers. He pointed out that for 10 years, there has not been recruitment of new veterinary officers. "We have lost some of our herd due to lack of medication and frequent checkups. The government used to even offer free immunization for our animals but now we are buying," he said. Ismael Karafu from the Kenya Livestock Marketing Council also lamented that even the area district veterinary officers do not have a vehicles to carry out their operations unlike those from Malindi and Kilifi. They called on the government to come to their rescue.