Kenya Livestock Marketing Council Chairman Dubat Amey has said the livestock off-take programme which was launched by the government has not had much impact as anticipated.
Amey said the programme initiated by President Uhuru Kenyatta in mid-January in Garissa town is faced with challenges as most of the livestock farmers have not been paid.
According to Amey, livestock owners whose 30 cattle were slaughtered during the launch of the programme have not yet received payment.
The programme, which was launched through the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) was meant to buy weak and emaciated animals from herders in a programme designed to mitigate the effects of the ongoing drought.
The chairman said the livestock farmers who were depending on the programme to sell their animals are now a frustrated lot as he questioned if the programme was meant to benefit livestock farmers or was a public relations exercise by the government.
“The livestock farmers who are hard hit by the current drought were initially happy with the programme initiated by President Uhuru Kenyatta to help them dispose of their malnourished animals instead of losing them to drought but now they are worried of losing their only source of livelihood,” he said.
Speaking to the press in Garissa Town, the chairman further said the officials who were present during the launch, including himself are under pressure from the farmers in remote areas who are constantly inquiring about the off-take programme and when their animals will be purchased.
“Sometimes we have no answers to these questions because we are in the dark on what is going on. Let the government come out clear and explain what is going on,” he said.