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The famous Kimalel goat auction in Baringo County will be back next month after taking a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Governor Benjamin Cheboi yesterday confirmed the auction will be held ahead of Christmas with President William Ruto and expected to attend.

Cheboi said the county had positioned itself to reap from the livestock sector which is the economic mainstay of the area. Baringo has an estimated two million goats and one million cows.

“We are pleased to announce that the auction which serves as a platform to highlight Baringo County’s rich cultural heritage, promote inter-community harmony and showcase her tourism attractions is back with a bang,” said Cheboi.

He said his administration was committed to ensuring residents benefit fully from the livestock sector.

“Plans are at an advanced stage for us to do value addition by setting up slaughters slabs in all the six sub-counties where we will be exporting slaughtered livestock to other counties which will also create employment for our people as we also raise revenue,” Cheboi told People Daily.

He said the county government will help farmers upgrade their animals through Artificial Insemination (AI) at affordable rates.

“We are in the process of ensuring that each of the 30 wards in the county has a veterinary and extension officer to offer technical advice to our farmers. A semen bank will also be set up in each of the six sub-counties,” he said.

The Governor said the County Assembly was in the process of enacting a law that will ensure all livestock are sold in formal livestock markets to fight rampant cases of rustling in the area and discourage unscrupulous middlemen who are exploiting livestock farmers.

“Those who will flout the rule will be liable to penalties including hefty fines. The county is currently losing millions of shillings as livestock is ferried all the way to Nairobi,” he said.