Nairobi earmarks Sh100m for reining in stray dogs menace

The Nairobi county government will spend Sh100 million to tame the growing menace of stray dogs in the city.

The county director of veterinary service, Murithi Muhari, said Nairobi has 50,000 stray dogs, which are posing serious risk to city dwellers.

“We are going to eliminate these dogs in the next one year and we are working with a budget of Sh100 million,” said Dr Muhari.

“We are going to kill them by shooting but this will involve a proper way as designated.”

Dr Muhari was speaking yesterday in Nairobi during the launch of a dog survey report launched by World Animal Protection, a London-based lobby.

The survey found that 53 per cent of dog owners in Nairobi allow their canines to roam especially at night as they believe it is natural behaviour for these animals to move freely.

Seventy-three per cent of the people surveyed said they will vaccinate their dogs and provide health care if the services are available. This means that a lot of dogs roaming could cause rabies as they are not vaccinated.

“This survey points to a significant information gap among dog owners. Something that can only be bridged through active education programmes and aggressive campaigns by the county government and other stakeholders,” said Emily Mudoga, campaign manager at World Animal Protection.