(The following press release was issued by the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries on November 24, 2017.)
A new agency to oversee the regulation of all veterinary medicinal products in the country has officially been launched today.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is now mandated to oversee the manufacture, importation, exportation, registration, distribution, prescription and dispensing of veterinary medicines. Previously, this role fell under the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) and the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB).
Although established in 2015 under the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Paraprofessionals (VSVP) Act CAP 366, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s operations were delayed after the Pharmaceutical Distributors Association of Kenya petitioned the court for infringement of their constitutional rights and loss of business. The petition has since been dismissed and the Directorate has now taken on its new regulatory role on veterinary medicinal products and other animal health input.
The launch of VMD took place during the Kenya stakeholders’ meeting on Mutual Recognition Procedure organised by Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) on Friday, November 24, 2017.
While launching the Directorate, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Livestock, Dr Andrew Tuimur urged the council members and management of the Directorate to instill a positive image which reassures all stakeholders involved in the animal health business.
“Efficient livestock production and animal welfare can only be enhanced with proper regulation of veterinary medicinal products and other animal health inputs. VMD offers this opportunity,” said Dr Tuimur.
The establishment of the Directorate followed an extensive stakeholder engagement and a regulatory impact assessment. VMD council members were duly gazetted on October 26, 2016.