Omuthiya
Faced with the persistent nuisance posed by stray livestock the Omuthiya Town Council has vowed to impound all stray animals roaming within the town boundaries and, pending consultations, plans to establish a kraal where such animals will be held.
The proposed kraal will be erected at the newly approved Omainda township centre that is to be developed. However, it is not yet clear what kind of penalties will be imposed on the impounded animals’ owners, as council does not have policies on such punitive measures.
This was highlighted by chief executive officer Samuel Mbango on Thursday when he was responding to concerns raised by stakeholders during a public meeting on the town’s first design concept, which details the short and long term urban structural plan of the township.
The meeting presented a platform for community members to make input into the draft design and offer suggestions as to what should be removed, or added, before it is finalised.
One concern raised pertains to what the council intends to do with the roaming animals and whether there is any provision within the draft design concept to keep such animals out of the townlands.
The residents added that stray animals have been destroying flowers and plants in their yards, as well as seeking shelter at office buildings and private properties, while littering the area with dung.
Some said the free-roaming livestock also contribute to road accidents.
“We’re still busy with some consultants to draft regulations in line with the law to restrict free animal movement within town centres or urban areas.
“This will then guide us on how we’re going to structure our policies and formulate our penalties,” explained Mbango, when asked for clarity on the proposed impounding policy.
Mbango, however, acknowledged that pending the finalisation of the regulation policy the town council currently does not have any such regulations in place yet, although it has tariffs that can be applied in this regard.
“Council has already approved the township area upon which the kraal is also planned to be set up. For now we will do some environmental assessments and survey the areas [to assess] whether it is really suitable for that purpose,” Mbango stressed, while insisting that the project would go ahead.