Ruto presides over first-ever chicken auction at Kampi Kuku
Deputy President William Ruto presides over chicken auction at Kampi Kuku, Kamagut, Uasin Gishu County on April 21, 2018. PHOTO | STANLEY KIMUGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- DP Ruto says he once used to sell chicken at the Kampi Kuku market in Uasin Gishu.
- The DP allowed farmers to use his chicken slaughterhouse and his refrigerator to get rid of middlemen.
Energy CS Keter bought 1,000 chickens, the highest number during the event, valued at Sh1.2 million.
Deputy President William Ruto on Saturday presided over the first-ever chicken auction at Kampi Kuku at Kamagut in Uasin Gishu County.
Dressed in a white shirt, black trouser, a grey tie and a white cap written ‘Jamaa wa Kuku,’ the DP said that he had attended the event to honour those who are still involved in the business that he once engaged in.
“Chicken is a business…Even the world’s richest man Bill Gates agrees that the easiest way to eliminate poverty is through poultry keeping and because our agenda as Jubilee is to ensure we attain food security, we are keen to support this agri-business,” said DP Ruto.
Mr Ruto said that he will support the poultry farmers by allowing them to take their chicken to his slaughterhouse and use the refrigerator in his farm to help them get rid of middlemen.
“This is will enable farmers to store their chicken for a week or even a month as they wait for better prices in the market,” said Mr Ruto.
DP Ruto urged farmers to join co-operatives to rid themselves of middlemen.
HUSTLER
The DP, who has in the past described himself as a ‘hustler’, prides himself in having risen from selling chicken to become the Eldoret North MP, an Agriculture minister and now the Deputy President with an eye on the presidency in 2022.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, Ministry of Mining and Petroleum Chief Administrative Secretary John Mosonik and Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen attended the event.
MPs who accompanied the DP included Janet Rotich (Turbo), Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Gideon Keter (nominated) and Caleb Kositany (Soy).
Energy CS Keter bought 1,000 chickens, the highest number during the event, valued at Sh1.2 million.
Ms Gertrude Chemutai, one of the organisers of the event, said that 5,000 chickens worth Sh6 million were sold during the auction.
“We didn’t expect so many people. There are those who travelled from Nyeri and Nairobi…some young people have now been motivated to form groups and venture into poultry,” said Ms Chemutai.
