The coronavirus has forced Deputy President William Ruto to scale down events that often characterise his Christmas breaks.
“The DP has scaled down most of his annual activities that normally feature in his diary as this time of the year due to Covid-19,” Ruto’s director of communication Emmanuel Talam told the Star on the phone.
On a day like today, Ruto would be rubbing dust off his suit at the goat auction in Kimalel, Baringo county.
But this year, the annual event that was revived eight years ago, is off his diary.
Baringo North MP William Cheptumo said after the revival, the auction had become an annual event that residents in Baringo county looked forward to. In previous years, close to 5,000 goats would be sold a day, the MP said. A goat would be sold for as much as Sh14,000
Cheptumo said the auction is an economic empowerment programme like no other in the county that breeds some of the best indigenous goats in the East African region.
“It is unfortunate that we are not having it this year because of the coronavirus. For the years we have had it, it has been so successful. As one of the leaders from the county, I want to thank the DP for faithfully attending the auction,” he told the Star.
The former chairman of Justice and Legal Affairs in the National Assembly said Baringo residents started fattening their goats in January in preparation for the event.
Cheptumo said residents who rely on the auction to raise school fees and buy farm inputs will suffer.
“This is an auction where we normally make up to Sh20 million. Schools are opening in January, and many parents won’t have school fees considering that the economy has been affected by Covid-19. The government should waive the payments,” he said.
The MP said there was a proposal by the Deputy President for the county government to consider a virtual goat auction.
Last year, the DP also revived ‘Kambi ya Kuku’ in his Uasin Gishu home county. He helped poultry farmers auction their fowl.
On Wednesday, the DP is expected to host a delegation of political, religious and community leaders from Busia county in his Sugoi home, Uasin Gishu county.
On Thursday, he is expected to accompany President Uhuru Kenyatta for the state funeral of Nyamira Governor John Nyagarama.
It is not yet clear if, on the same Thursday, he will manage to grace the annual “hustlers” football tournament which normally takes place in rotation among Western counties.
The DP started his countryside life on Monday by hosting children from several orphanages in Uasin Gishu county as he celebrated his 54th birthday.
On Tuesday, he called off some meetings to create time to attend the funerla of Machakos Senator Boniface Kabaka.