Veterinary experts take insemination dispute to court

By BONIFACE GIKANDI

Murang’a, Kenya: The controversy surrounding the roll-out of subsided artificial insemination (AI) services between Murang’a County government and veterinary professionals in the county has been certified urgent by a court.

Murang’a High Court judge Jairus Ngaah yesterday certified the matter as urgent fixing an interparties hearing for February 3, this year.

The veterinary professionals, through lawyer Daniel Mathenge, in the petition claimed that the county government and Governor Mwangi wa Iria had expressed intention of engaging non-professionals in the artificial insemination programme thus jeopardising their profession.

The experts claimed the programme, which is set to be launched on an unspecific date, would render them out of business as no stakeholders’ forum was convened nor any consultation done by the county government.

In the AI programme, the county government, the lawyer said, had declared an intention of subsiding service rates from Sh1,500 to Sh500.

Dr Thuku Kirori, Jackson Mungai, Karanja Kuria, Wamuyu Mugweru and Maina Njoroge are representing their colleagues in the civil suit.

They sought legal action to restrain the county government from rolling out the programme.

The veterinary experts moved to court three days after Mr Iria visited Kenyatta Mareira Agriculture Training Centre to inspect 22 high yielding dairy cows that were procured from various farms in Rift Valley.

In the same court, Kanyanye-ini Tea Factory in Kangema was almost blocked from confirming Peter Gachuhi as a director during today’s annual general meeting after last week’s rotational election called by the Kenya Tea Development Agency.

The judge said if the matters raised in the petition by tea farmers, Ms Lucy Nyakiago and Mr John Maina, are found to be true the court will direct that Gachuhi is stripped of his directorship.

The petitioners, through lawyer Njenga Muchai, had sought an order to restrain the tea factory holding its AGM today from confirming Gachuhi, arguing his election was marred with malpractice and other irregularities.

The matter has been fixed for an interparties hearing on January 30.