Cartels, politicians hijack Kimalel goat auction, lock out farmers

 President William Ruto during  the famed Kimalel Goat Auction.[PCS]

A section of Baringo leaders and the county government have been accused of short-changing farmers during the famed Kimalel Goat Auction held on Monday, sparking outrage among pastoralists who say the event was hijacked by cartels and political elites.

Farmers claim the county government sourced goats from politicians, businesspeople and their proxies, abandoning the long-standing tradition of prioritising local pastoralists.

Richard Bolei from Kimalel said he was deeply disappointed after two of his goats were rejected.

“I have been selling my goats at the Kimalel Goat Auction since the Moi era, using the proceeds to educate my children, but this year things changed. Two of my goats were rejected and only one was picked,” he said.

Bolei said he returned home with his goat after a county official claimed it did not qualify.

“After questioning the process, I realised that some politicians and cartels had brought their own goats. We need justice. I sympathise with farmers who depended on the sale to pay school fees,” he added.

Cornelius Sergon, the secretary of the Kimalel Goat Auction committee, said the event was poorly planned.

“Poor planning and coordination allowed cartelism to take over. The county government failed to involve locals, which compromised the entire process,” he said.

Sergon noted that although farmers were told to bring healthy goats, many large goats were rejected during vetting, while younger animals were accepted, triggering anger among residents.

He said lorries ferrying goats arrived at the venue late on Sunday night, raising questions about ownership.

“Initially, we were told 5,000 goats would be auctioned, but due to greed, 8,700 goats were sourced without considering local farmers,” he said.

Farmer Vincent Chebii said the auction had lost its original purpose after being infiltrated by cartels.

The annual auction, initiated in 1986 by former President Daniel Moi as an empowerment project, is meant to improve the livelihoods of Baringo residents. Proceeds from the sale traditionally help families pay school fees for children from arid and semi-arid areas.

However, this year’s event was marred by controversy after the county government allegedly failed to involve local administrators in sourcing goats.

The Standard established that elected leaders, senior county officials and their proxies benefited from the auction.

A source said President William Ruto, who was the chief guest, expressed disappointment after learning that many goats belonged to politicians and senior county officials.

“The President questioned why leaders wanted him to buy cartel goats and whether they understood the purpose of the auction,” the source said.

According to the source, some leaders pleaded for forgiveness, claiming they were also farmers.

County funds had already been released for the event, even as sponsors contributed additional money.

Chiefs were reportedly excluded from the selection process, with county officials allegedly inflating farmers’ goat numbers to mask cartel involvement.

Following public outrage, goats were sold at Sh13,000 per head on the President’s directive, down from the Sh18,000 initially proposed by some leaders.

On Monday, angry residents attempted to bring their goats to the venue after witnessing others being offloaded, but tensions were contained.

Baringo Senator Vincent Chemitei said 4,000 goats had initially been planned for the auction, but the number increased, affecting prices.

“I apologise to the people of Baringo. This will not happen again. We will ensure only genuine farmers benefit in future auctions,” he said.

Chemitei promised stricter vetting next year to prevent cartel infiltration.

Chief Officer Chemjor Wendott promised to address the issue on Tuesday but failed to respond.

By Tuesday, The Standard established that remaining goats were starving due to lack of a feeding plan. A county official said 6,800 goats were sold, while about 2,000 remained unsold.