Normal business activities have resumed at the famous Rumuruti livestock auction market in Laikipia County even as herders decry low livestock prices occasioned by the ongoing drought situation in the North Kenyan counties. Last week’s market was paralyzed by clashes between herders and locals that rocked the area.
On Thursday however, thousands of herders and traders flocked the market following the return of an easy in the town which is the Laikipia county headquarters.
Approximately 2,000 cattle and 5,200 sheep and goats are sold at the town’s weekly livestock auction held every Thursday.
A couple of hundred meters north of the town center, Rumuruti’s Livestock Market attracts sellers from as far as Baringo, Turkana, Isiolo and Samburu, and buyers from as far as Meru, Nairobi, Nakuru, Murang’a, Nyeri and even Somalia.
Rumuruti township ward MCA Joseph Suge said that they were happy that the efforts various leaders had made to bring together herders and local residents and end the clashes had bore fruits.
According to data from the county government, a revenue worth about half a million is collected by the county government in the livestock auction market.
Approximate 10,000 people from other counties flock the market with more than Sh1 million exchange hands in the busy town every Thursday.
He said that last week the county was hardly hit in terms of revenue collection in the town but he was happy that things had gone back to normal.
Last week angry residents had stormed the market and flushed out herders who had brought their livestock for sale during a mini market day.
The traders also torched several motorcycles belonging to the herders accusing them of grazing their livestock at their farms in Marura area.
Last week, herders kept off the market after local residents threatened to evict the from the market.
However, Mr Joseph Letumpesi said even as calm returns in the town, pastoralists who had brought their livestock to the market for sale from as far as Isiolo and Samburu counties were forced to sale their livestock at low prices.
He said that drought is ravaging hundreds of their livestock, and they had no other option rather than to sale them at a throw away prices because they can’t afford to lose more animals.
Benson Lesaraja a herder said that a mature ram that was retailing at Sh 7,500 weeks ago is retailing at Sh5,800.
He said that they were however happy that calm has been restored.