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Animal Welfare Action Kenya (AWAKE)

A Stakeholders meeting and dinner that was held at Panafric Hotel on Wednesday, March 29th, 2006 with sponsorship from Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies (KENDAT). This call was made by the Director of Veterinary Services due to concerns on misuse of work and food animals, and with the renewed world focus on animal welfare. The meeting was called to initiate and provide a forum for addressing animal welfare issues. It emphasized the need for a partnership to mobilize the local and international institutions and organizations on the critical aspects of animal welfare.

The meeting endorsed fully the formation of Animal Welfare Partnership for Kenya. The main aim is to provide a focal point where the stakeholders would meet regularly, build channels and resource support for action regarding pertinent issues of welfare and other animal concerns. An Ad hoc committee of the Animal Welfare Partnership for Kenya was formed to jumpstart the operationalisation of the partnership, and composed of a number of organizations and institutions. However, through a series of meetings, it was agreed that the committee no longer be ad hoc, and the meeting agreed on a new name: Animal Welfare Action Kenya (AWAKE).

AWAKE is housed by the Kenya Veterinary Board and the Director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development. It brings together a wide range of animal welfare stakeholders (including WSPA, IFAW, KSPCA, KVA, KWVA, ANAW etc.) to exchange and conduct campaigns and activities for general animal welfare learning and practice advancement. AWAKE has thoroughly appreciated the efforts and experiences of the KENDAT/Brooke Heshimu Punda programme whose activities are loaded with innovative experience and interventions to build upon.

AWAKE mission:

Engage stakeholders in sensitization, education and active responses towards improved care of all animals in Kenya.

AWAKE's main objectives are:

  • Gather information on Animal Welfare policies, standards, regulations and practices elsewhere for sharing
  • Organize forums for discussions with other stakeholders and provide training opportunities and information on Animal Welfare
  • Serve as advisory functions to arms of government and various institutions as called upon, and act as the think-tank and opinion leaders for addressing animal welfare issues and advice on policy matters.
  • Familiarizing and re-examining the Animal Welfare Act, CAP 360 and livestock policy as well as other legislation with implications on animal welfare
  • Developing a database of animal welfare issues, recognized institutions and organizations.
  • Explore how to utilize common law and traditional practices to enhance animal welfare, and help monitor and report animal welfare niches and activities at grass root level.

Three sub-committees were formed:

  1. Policy and Institutions, whose mandate is to prepare policy guidelines which will assist in legislation of animal welfare in Kenya. A TOR was set to guide in achieving this. The convener is KVB, and membership includes DVS, KVB, KSPCA, IFAW, KWVA, AU IBAR, ANAW, Practical Action, WSPA, Rep - Private Vet Practitioners and Jockey Club of Kenya.
  2. Information and Communication, whose mandate is to assemble, formulate and disseminate information on animal welfare. The convener is KENDAT, and membership includes KVA, DVS, KVA, KVB, Jockey Club of Kenya, Rep- Farmer Organization and Rep- Private Practitioners.
  3. Coordination and Resource Mobilization, in charge of sourcing for funding to ensure proper functioning of the committee as well as execution of the activities of the sub-committees. The convener is ANAW, and membership includes IFAW, KENDAT, KSPCA and WSPA.

There have been recommendations to set up a secretariat as a hub for collection, synthesis and dissemination of information on animal welfare, and for the committee to be given an official recognition especially in regarding to ownership of the process of drafting animal welfare policy for the country.

Membership to the partnership is open to recognized and relevant institutions and organizations.

It was also agreed that the following will serve as officials of AWAKE.

Chair: Dr. Joseph Musaa, DVS
Secretary: Mr. Fred Ochieng, KENDAT
Spokesman: Dr. Vijay Varma, Jockey Club of Kenya

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