Goat sales during the famous Kimalel goat auction 2019 edition dropped by Sh. 6million compared to the sales of 2018 figures.
Auctioneer Governor, Josphat Nanok of Turkana who stood in for Deputy President, Dr. William Ruto, the Chief Guest who was away in Uganda for a public function, managed to collect Sh. 20 million compared to Sh. 26 million of the 2018 event.
Each goat traded at Sh. 10, 000 and they were sold in masses with some buyers taking away 400 goats at ago; the least buyer went home with 10 goats.
The low sales were as a result of reducing number of goats sold in this year’s event that stood at 2, 000 compared to the figure of 2018 in which 2, 600 goats were sold.
Residents interviewed by KNA noted that the drop in sales was as a result of many factors among them delay in the release of money raised from the sales of the goats.
One of the residents, Josphat Lenasolio, who hails from Baringo South claimed that goat owners were demoralized by the delay in the release of the funds collected from the goat sales.
Lenasolio noted that livestock keeping was the main economic mainstay of Baringo residents and local farmers prefer ordinary livestock auction in which they go home with cash money on same day from the sale of their animals at various livestock markets like Loruk, Marigat, Barwessa and Nginyang.
“I don’t see the reason for the county government to hold people’s money for even more than five days after the massive goat sales. Let them not give us lame excuses because we know that the only thing that may cause delay is the maturing of cheques,” he said.
A female resident who wished not to be named for fear of victimization noted that majority of the goat farmers were reluctant to produce their goats at the event due to compulsory remittance of money for NHIF registration from the sales of the goats from each farmer.
“In 2018, every farmer who produced a goat for sale at the auction was deducted Sh. 6, 000 for NHIF,” she said.
During this year’s auction, President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy, Dr. William Ruto who sent governor Nanok bought 400 goats each valued at Sh. 8million during the exercise which was done in less than 20 minutes.
The Baringo governor, Stanley Kiptis bought 100 goats, the auctioneer governor Nanok and his Uasin-Gishu counterpart Jackson Mandago bought 50 and 30 goats respectively.
The Baringo Senator, Gideon Moi and his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart, Kipchumba Murkomen bought 50 goats each, while Kericho Senator, Aaron Cheruiyot and his Nandi counterpart, Samson Cherargei bought 20 and 10 goats respectively with Kapseret legislator, Oscar Sudi buying 30 goats.
Meanwhile, the politicians had earlier turned the event into a platform for politicking over the impending referendum popularly known as BBI and bashed out at DCI and EACC whom they accused of discharging their duties selectively especially on graft war.
By Vincent Miningwo/Christopher Kiprop
