An ambitious initiative to vaccinate all livestock in Kenya is set to begin this week, but it has sparked fierce opposition from farmers, driven by misleading claims about the vaccines.
The government has announced that the vaccination program will come at no cost to farmers, with the state covering the expenses. However, many local farmers, including Robert Nkukuu, who raises cattle in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, have expressed their staunch opposition. Nkukuu explained, “If the community here learns you are pro-vaccination, they will slay you just now. So stop talking about it, we don’t want it.”
The government aims to vaccinate at least 22 million cattle and 50 million goats and sheep over the next three years, as part of efforts to control diseases like foot-and-mouth and peste des petits ruminants (PPR). Currently, only about 10% of the national herd is vaccinated, and authorities hope to increase this rate to 85% to make Kenya’s livestock products eligible for export.
President William Ruto, a farm owner with large herds, has emphasized the importance of the vaccination initiative to control livestock diseases and expand the sector. However, a section of the population is questioning the program, with some believing that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is behind it, due to videos circulating online that discuss Gates’ interest in vaccinating cows to reduce methane emissions.
Methane, produced by livestock belching and farting, accounts for around 15% of global emissions annually, according to the UN. It is the second-most prevalent greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
Jonathan Mueke, a senior official from Kenya’s agriculture ministry, has denied that Gates is funding the vaccination campaign, stating that neither he nor any foreign donors are involved. Despite this clarification, conspiracy theories continue to spread, amplified by influential figures on social media.
Caleb Karuga, an influential farmer and former journalist, posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing his resistance to the program, saying, “No-one will vaccinate my livestock just because Bill Gates said so.” Additionally, opposition figures like Ledama Olekina, a Maasai pastoralist senator, have voiced similar opposition. Olekina tweeted, “There are millions of cows in Europe and America, and none of them are being vaccinated for farting… mine will not be vaccinated.”
Gates has invested in projects aimed at reducing methane emissions from livestock and is supporting a U.S.-based company working on a vaccine. However, experts like Prof. Ermias Kebreab from the University of California, Davis, have confirmed that no vaccine currently exists to reduce methane emissions from cattle. He stated, “I wish we had one, but that is still in development — and no-one has reached the stage of testing in animals yet.”
Despite these assurances, opposition to the vaccination program continues to grow. Politicians like Kalonzo Musyoka, a leader of the opposition, have raised concerns, alleging that the vaccines could alter the genetic makeup of livestock and potentially harm them. “Ruto is advancing a sinister foreign agenda. This plan is reckless and must be stopped,” Musyoka declared after the program’s announcement.
When questioned about these specific claims, Musyoka’s spokesperson referred to the vaccination initiative as a “violation of the constitution,” criticizing the lack of transparency regarding the program’s implementation and resources.