The market that is crying out for banking services

The Lolkuniyan Livestock Market: Since it is not properly fenced, many traders easily walk away without paying the necessary taxes to the Samburu County government. PHOTO | PAUL LETIWA

What you need to know:

  • In the expansive market located about 15km from Wamba Trading Centre in Samburu East,  livestock owners walk around proudly in their Samburu traditional regalia, mainly consisting of red shukas.
  • Their main business today is negotiating the prices before selling or buying livestock, mainly cattle, goats and sheep. 
  • Samburu County Governor Moses Lenolkulal says that the Lolkuniyani Market, like other livestock markets in the area, serves the best interests of the Samburu community, which is trying to shift  from their pastoralist way of life and adapt a market economy. 

It is 9am on a Thursday at Lolkuniyani Livestock Market in Samburu County.

A large crowd of warriors is engrossed in buying and selling livestock. Some of them are tired, having walked tens of kilometres to get here. In the expansive market located about 15km from Wamba Trading Centre in Samburu East,  livestock owners walk around proudly in their Samburu traditional regalia, mainly consisting of red shukas. Their main business today is negotiating the prices before selling or buying livestock, mainly cattle, goats and sheep. 

Mr Lediman Letinina has been in the business for four years. He is among the most skillful negotiators.“It took me about nine hours to get to get here. I started my journey  the day before yesterday and spent the night in a village near Wamba Town and woke up early to bring my goats here,” he says.

The saying “The early bird catches the worm” is brought to life  in this vast livestock market.  As the hot sun starts beating down on the market, Mr Letinina is leaning against a tree, holding a rope to which his five goats are tethered.

Before long, a potential buyer, Mr Loeku Lenkima, shows up and takes a careful look at them. He is interested in buying only two, and after a few minutes of bargaining, they shake hands, having struck a deal.  Mr Lenkima pays for the two goats and leaves Mr Letinina to look for buyers for the remaining three goats.

“Competition is very stiff here,” offers Mr Letinina. “There are very many livestock sellers in this market and since people get livestock from different sources, the prices vary. That is why buyers walk around looking for the best prices.” Since prices in the market are determined through negotiations between sellers and buyers, thresholds are agreed upon based on the information received about prices in smaller markets across the semi-arid Samburu.

TAX-FREE SALES

The presence of security men drawn mainly from the Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) is assuring to both livestock buyers and sellers in the desolate area known for frequent cattle rustling and highway bandit attacks.Every few metres where money  has changed hands after agreeing on the price,  a county covernment revenue collection officer stands with a receipt book, collecting revenue for every sale made within the market.

Mr Fred Lororua, the Secretary of the Livestock Marketing Association in Wamba, says the county government is trying its best to collect taxes from livestock traders but not all of them comply with the rules.

“A few of them do not pay taxes; they just sell their animals and go. The market is not fenced, which this makes it easy for some traders to avoid paying taxes to the government,” he laments. 

However, the major challenge for livestock traders in the expansive Lolkuniyani market is lack of banking services. Mr Letinina says every market day he walks to his village in Matakweni, about 20 kilometres  away with huge amounts of cash  in his wallet wrapped in his waist.“We do not have banks here. We  have only mobile banking, which limits the amount one candeposit. Once  I was forced to walk home with Sh700,000  in cash after selling 23 cows and a few goats. The only banks available are in Isiolo and Maralal towns, which are far from here. Walking with cash is very risky,” he says.

Samburu County Governor Moses Lenolkulal says that the Lolkuniyani Market, like other livestock markets in the area, serves the best interests of the Samburu community, which is trying to shift  from their pastoralist way of life and adapt a market economy. “The Samburu livestock market has a lot of potential.

As the County Government we looked at two things to improve our Livestock trade: capacity enhancement that ensures that only good quality  livestock is brought to the markets, and infrastructural development to equip markets with appropriate facilities in order to bring down trading costs and enable traders to pass the increasing benefits to pastoralists,” he says.

The Lolkuniyani Livestock Market, which was started by the Ngilai West Community in 2004, has also helped other booming small enterprises that are placing food on the table for  many people  in Wamba and the surounding areas. 

“We began with fewer than 20 goats,  but today we see more than 4,000 livestock (cows, goats, sheep and camels) being brought here for sale every week. About Sh25m changes hands here every Thursday.

That is why traders want at least a branch of a bank  in Wamba town,” says Mr Lororua.

After a tiring day in the hot weather, At about 4pm, the Lolkuniyani Livestock Market folds up at 4pm and withing minutes,  it isleft completely deserted.  The weary traders begin their homeward journey, carrying wads of notes in their wallets carefully strapped to their waists, awaiting  the next market day. As their sihouettes disappear in the horizon, all  that is left are lumps of cowdung and a dusty atmosphere.