Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke has revealed that the government has gazetted the water buffalo as a food item following research and consultations with veterinary experts in Kenya and India.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Mueke said a Kenyan delegation visited India to study how the animals are kept and managed, noting that they can be domesticated just like ordinary livestock.
“We did visit India and saw these buffaloes. They are just put in the house kwa shamba yako tu kama ng’ombe, mbuzi ama kondoo. They are not harmful at all. We said, as Kenyans, maybe we should try those here,” Mueke said.
The PS explained that the decision to gazette the water buffalo as a food item followed extensive research and collaboration between veterinary officers from Kenya and India.
According to Mueke, the gazettement allows the country to explore the consumption of both buffalo milk and meat, following assessments by veterinary experts who determined that the products are safe for human consumption.
“We gazetted the water buffalo as a food item so that we can be able to consume its milk and meat. That was done as per a lot of research and a lot of collaboration between our veterinary officers and the veterinary officers in India, who determined that this is safe for human consumption,” he added.
The announcement comes as the government explores importing the Murrah breed of water buffalo from India, citing its high-quality milk and high fat content.
Mueke has indicated that the animals will initially be introduced to government farms for research before the government considers making them available to private farmers.
