Livestock Bill 2023: Kenyans Face KSh 20k Fine For Selling Animal Feeds Without Licence

• The Livestock Bill 2023 proposes animal feed regulations that must be adhered to by business operators countrywide
• If the bill is passed into law, farmers or traders cannot sell feeds unless they have been validly registered and issued a registration certificate
• At the same time, individuals who engage in animal farming services without a license could soon face penalties, including a possible fine of up to KSh 500,000

Kenyan farmers and traders risk being fined KSh 20,000 or a six-month jail term for selling animal feeds without a licence.

The proposals are contained in the Livestock Bill 2023 sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.

If the bill is passed into law, a business operator or any person cannot engage in any production, manufacturing, processing, storage, transport or distribution of animal feeds unless he/she has been validly registered and issued a registration certificate.

The licence will be valid for a year, and those who fail to acquire it will face stiff penalties that could significantly impact those striving to make a living.

"A person who operates a feedstuff business contrary to these regulations commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both fine and imprisonment," part of the bill states.

Why farmers face KSh 500k fine

At the same time, individuals in Kenya who engage in animal farming services without a license could soon face penalties, including a fine of up to KSh 500,000, a six-month imprisonment term, or both.

The new measures were proposed under the Animal Production Professionals and Technicians Bill 2023.

According to the proposed bill, no individual may engage in animal production services or represent themselves, directly or indirectly, as an animal production professional or technician, nor pursue such employment unless duly registered and licensed under the proposed act.

Why farmers must buy ETR machines

In related news, Farmer's Choice notified all Rosemark and Choice Meats Division suppliers to buy Electronic Tax Registry (ETR) machines for invoice generation.

This followed the Finance Act 2023 implementation, requiring all transaction invoices generated from an Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS), effective January 1, 2024.

The changes target all suppliers and farmers, even those not registered for VAT, to avoid any loss from manual invoicing.