As Rwanda’s leaders gather at the National Umushyikirano Council 2026, on February 5 and 6, to assess delivery, reset priorities, and strengthen coordination across government, the poultry sector deserves urgent attention. This is a test not of policy intent, but of implementation and accountability. ALSO READ: Why has the chicken refused to cross the road? The country’s poultry market is flashing a warning signal leaders cannot afford to ignore. What we are witnessing today is not ordinary price fluctuation, but a potential structural breakdown in the broiler chicken sector that threatens food security, livelihoods, and national nutrition goals. ALSO READ: What’s behind shortages of broiler meat on the market? The current issues in the poultry sector go far beyond price volatility and supply-chain standoffs. While existing issues of market instability demand urgent fixes, a quieter but more dangerous threat must be stopped. The health and safety of chicken reaching our tables. Responsible institutions must ensure Rwandans are not consuming broiler meat with inadequate safeguards against contaminants, weak hygiene enforcement, and minimal routine testing for chemical or biological hazards. This is a public-health issue that deserves the same seriousness Rwanda applies to any emerging threat to citizen well-being. ALSO READ: For Rwandans, Umushyikirano is a platform to chart a path forward Much of Rwanda’s broiler sector operates informally. Anyone can start farming chickens overnight. Basic knowledge often stops at starter, grower, and finisher feeds, supplemented by vitamins and additives recommended by peers, with the sole objective of reaching market weight, usually around two kilos, as quickly as possible. Few producers have formal training on precise nutrient requirements, residue risks, or feed safety as it relates to human consumption. Over-supplementation, unbalanced rations, or poor-quality ingredients can result in chemical residues accumulating in meat. Slaughter frequently occurs outside regulated facilities, without ante-mortem or post-mortem inspection, residue testing, or strict hygiene controls. This “slaughter anywhere” model bypasses basic safeguards designed to detect pathogens, chemical contaminants, or diseased birds before products reach consumers. Of particular concern are dioxins, persistent organic pollutants that can enter poultry meat through contaminated feed or environmental exposure. Globally, dioxin contamination scandals in poultry and eggs have prompted recalls and long-term health concerns. Chronic exposure, even at low levels, has been linked to reproductive disorders, fertility challenges, immune suppression, and increased cancer risk. In a country increasingly reliant on poultry as an affordable protein source, the absence of routine dioxin monitoring or enforceable residue limits represents a serious blind spot. Microbial hazards such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, as well as allergen risks from feed additives, also receive insufficient oversight in small-scale production systems. The fundamental questions are straightforward. Should anyone be allowed to farm chickens for human consumption without technical knowledge of feed formulation, biosecurity, and food safety? Should birds be slaughtered for commercial sale without inspection, hygiene controls, or traceability? The answer is, clearly, no. Unregulated entry and informal slaughter do not merely destabilize markets; they expose consumers to avoidable health risks. This gap should not exist within Rwanda’s otherwise strong institutional framework. Rwanda Standards Board has developed HACCP certification schemes and draft standards on poultry welfare, meat hygiene, handling, and storage. Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority regulates processed foods and licenses manufacturers, while MINAGRI and RAB oversee animal production and biosecurity. Allowing many producers and slaughter points to operate outside formal systems constitutes regulatory failure. Routine testing for chemical residues, including dioxins, must be widely implemented, and small producers should not fall outside certification requirements. We cannot strictly regulate where chicken is served, such as in restaurants, while neglecting to regulate what is actually being served. Rwanda’s broader public-health record is among the strongest in the region. Poultry safety must not become a stain on these achievements, given its central role in nutrition targets under NST2 and its daily consumption across income groups. Poultry farming must be professionalized through mandatory training and certification approved by RAB and RSB, covering feed safety, residue management, biosecurity, and public-health risks. Informal slaughter for commercial sale must be prohibited, with strict enforcement of inspections at designated facilities. Rwanda should finalize and enforce comprehensive standards for fresh chicken meat, including limits on chemical residues, antibiotics, and microbial contamination, supported by expanded surveillance and transparent reporting. HACCP or equivalent food-safety systems should be actively promoted among medium-scale producers and cooperatives. Rwanda has repeatedly shown that it does not compromise when citizens’ health is at stake. Treating poultry safety as a serious public-health issue is consistent with that national ethos. Ignoring it risks long-term health consequences, erosion of consumer trust, and damage to a sector meant to improve nutrition, not undermine it. Rwandans deserve chicken that is not only affordable, but unquestionably safe. Regulation, enforcement, and routine testing are not optional extras; they are the minimum standard. As leaders reflect during this year’s Umushyikirano on what must be delivered, by whom, and with what accountability, poultry safety should be treated as a national public-health priority, not a secondary agricultural concern. Effective regulation, firm enforcement, and strong inter-agency coordination among MINAGRI, RAB, RSB, and RFDA, are essential. Rwanda has shown that when leadership aligns institutions around clear responsibility and measurable outcomes, results follow. Poultry safety demands the same resolve. Affordable nutrition without safety is a failure of delivery, and a market left to run wild is a failure of coordination. Rwanda works, delivers, knows how to do better, and now is the time to ensure the chicken on our tables is safe. The writer is an ideator and alternative development financing strategist.
