Ntimama son raises red flag over poor management of Narok’s Purko sheep ranch
Sheep in a ranch. Some members of the 3,600 acres Purko Development Trust sheep ranch in Mau Narok now want the government to intervene and stop what they say is plunder by the management. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The sheep ranch was created in 1956 to benefit the Maasai community, especially the Purko clan through modern farming.
- They were also to benefit from the proceeds of the ranch.
- Members are asking the government to intervene and stop misappropriation of funds.
- There are fears that millions of shillings from sale of sheep and wheat have been misappropriated.
The controversial 3,600 acres Purko Development Trust sheep ranch in Mau Narok is headed for turbulent times as a section of its members take to a social media to agitate for changes and accusing its officials of mismanagement.
The group backed by a civil society group, Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners (Ilepa), has claimed that millions of shillings have been misappropriated and might have ended up in individuals’ pockets.
According to the WhatsApp group platform created by a son of the former Cabinet minister and crusader for Maasai rights, William ole Ntimama, Mr Tempes Ntimama, the more than 3,000 members have appealed to politicians to stay away from the management of the ranch.
“Politicians are interfering with the management of this ranch, since every elected leader [is demanding] for a position for their cronies in the management of the ranch,’ said Mr Ntimama in the introduction to the group.
According to the platform, the sheep ranch was created in 1956 to benefit the Maasai community and especially the Purko clan through modern farming.
They were also to benefit from the proceeds of the ranch.
BREED MERINO SHEEP
The land where the ranch is situated was donated by members of the Purko clan and each of them donated sheep as capital, 70 years ago.
The ranch was to be used for breeding of merino sheep which members would buy in order to improve local breeds.
The group’s concerns were raised after residents of Entiyani, Tipis, Oloropil, and Olokurto in Narok North Sub-County invaded the farm in November and staged a sit-in demanding for an audit of the company’s books and suspension of the board of management.
“The money from sale of sheep and wheat from the 2,000 acres ploughed every year amounting to close to Sh90 million annually has been misappropriated and our request is that the government intervenes and save us,” said Mr Nelson ole Keshei, a member of the investment company who wants those involved arrested.
Mr Keshei said parents of the community members, who are now deceased, surrendered the land to the colonial government in 1956 so that a sheep ranch could be set up for the community to benefit from its proceeds.
The community started losing grip of the project after independence when its management was taken over by the Narok County Council.
However, the county council managed the ranch up to 1998, when 16 members, without consulting the community, decided to register the parcel of land which comprised of the Purko sheep ranch in the name of a trust known as Purko Development Trust.
