KMC start buying animals in drought stricken Samburu

Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) will buy 2000 herds of livestock in Samburu county in the first phase of the off take programme.

The Commission has announced that it would buy each cattle at a cost of Sh18,000 from the three sub counties.

Speaking to journalists in Maralal town, KMC Commissioner, Mr Joseph Learamo said the government has already set aside Sh170million to buy livestock in 14 counties including Samburu that have been severely affected by drought in the country in the first phase.

The funds disbursed by the national government are meant to mitigate the ongoing cases of drought in 14 different counties in the country.

''Kenya Meat Commission has been given a mandate by the government to do the off take in seven worst affected counties,'' said Learamo.

Samburu County is among the affected counties with more than 120,000 residents facing severe drought and hunger.

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According to Governor Moses Lenolkulal, Samburu East and North sub counties are the worst affected by the ongoing drought.

Livestock from Samburu North Sub County have moved to Samburu East due to lack of rainfall since October last year.

''The county government has also channeled funds for the off take programme before the animals die of hunger,'' said Lenolkulal.

The KMC commissioner said that they will also do destocking in places where animals are weak and cannot be transported to Nairobi.

''The weak animals that cannot be transported to Athi River will be slaughtered for community's consumption,'' said the commissioner.

Those in better conditions will be transported to Athi River for meat production and processing of packaged meat products for military and KWS.

He added that this is going to be a continuous programme because the indicators of drought affecting the parts of the country may continue for some months.

Learamo however called on the government to pump more resources in mitigation as the drought would continue up to the later months of the year.

In October last year, Samburu leaders and pastoralists had asked the National Government to buy their livestock as drought and famine persisted in the Northern parts of Kenya.