The national government has handed over the Bachuma Livestock Quarantine and Export Centre in Voi Sub-County, Taita Taveta County, to a private investor to operationalise the facility and tap into a livestock export market estimated at Sh30 billion annually.

Speaking during the handover and introduction of the investor, Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said operationalising the center would open a major market for livestock farmers while creating opportunities for investment and employment.

Kagwe said the government was increasingly turning to private-sector partnerships to unlock the potential of idle public facilities and create economic opportunities for citizens.

“We’ve found it very effective to partner with the private sector to make it possible for industries to run effectively and ultimately put money into the pockets of our people,” said Kagwe.

He cited the turnaround of the sugar sector following the takeover of four formerly government-owned sugar companies by private investors, saying the changes had improved payments to sugarcane farmers and ensured workers received their salaries on time.

Kagwe said Taita Taveta could use the livestock center as a catalyst for industrial development by creating a chain of related businesses that would enable residents to earn more from their land and livestock.

Principal Secretary for the State Department for Livestock Development, Jonathan Mueke, said the operationalisation of the center would give livestock farmers in Taita Taveta and other parts of the country access to a major export market while creating revenue streams for both levels of government.

Mueke urged livestock farmers to increase production to take advantage of the market, saying local farmers should be the first beneficiaries of the investment.

“I urge people of this county to step up and ensure that you provide a generous quota of livestock to meet the massive demand of this market and be the first to benefit from this opportunity before anyone else,” said Mueke.

He said the government was also rolling out livestock investment companies in 21 arid and semi-arid counties as part of efforts to fight poverty, empower farmers and create new income streams for communities dependent on livestock.

Under the initiative, each county is expected to enrol 15,000 members, with each contributing Sh3,000 while the national government contributes Sh10,000 per member as seed capital for livestock trading.

“With our strategy for livestock investment companies across 21 counties in arid and semi-arid lands, we want to financially empower 15,000 individuals in every county so that they can be part of the livestock market and make meaningful livelihoods,” said Mueke.

Blue Mountain, the private investor taking over the facility, said it would invest billions of shillings in the centre while giving local residents priority in employment, business partnerships and other empowerment opportunities.

The company’s representative, Mohamed Keinan Hassan, said the investor had secured a market for 100,000 livestock annually in South Africa in addition to substantial demand from Middle East countries.

He said Taita Taveta’s estimated annual production of about 10,000 cattle was insufficient to meet the available market, urging farmers to increase their livestock numbers and take advantage of the centre’s proximity.

The investor said local farmers would receive priority in supplying the facility, creating an opportunity for them to expand production and benefit from the growing export market.

Taita Taveta Governor, Andrew Mwadime, welcomed the operationalisation of the centre, describing it as a major industrial milestone for a county that, he said, had not had a factory since independence.

“We’re glad that finally, after a long wait, this center is going to operate and be one of the first industries on our county’s soil since independence,” said Mwadime.

The governor urged the investor to honour plans to establish an abattoir and tannery at the facility, saying the additional investments would create more employment opportunities for residents.

By Arnold Linga Masila