- He said he decided to invest in bringing hay from Isinya with an investment of Sh500, 000.
- The county government has since partnered with FAO to provide relief animal feeds to over750 livestock keepers.
Image: CHETI PRAXIDES
For the enterprising Charles Njenga, the drought crisis in Lamu has presented an opportunity that was too good to ignore.
He has decided to sell hay to herders who were in desperate need for feeds which have been diminishing because of drought.
The wholesale vegetable vendor who buys and sells produce, and who has been in the business of bringing fresh produce to Lamu from Nyahururu for more than 15 years, narrates how the current drought crisis sparked an idea.
A herder jokingly asked him why he didn’t have any vegetables for his animals.
“It was during a random banter with a herder friend of mine that the idea to bring in hay from Isinya was born,” he said.
During the conversation, Njenga was able to gather that more than 3,000 heads of cattle had died and there were fears among pastoralists that more were likely to die unless they got assistance.
Njenga quickly spotted a business opportunity to invest in buying and selling hay.
“I was initially worried about the reception I would get knowing how herders think that grass is a God given gift that they are entitled to,” he said.
He explains how in August he decided to invest in bringing hay from Isinya with an investment of Sh500, 000.
“I originally decided to manage my expectations knowing that the business was something that was yet to be explored,” Njenga says, adding that he considered a few factors before investing in the business wholesale.
"When you visit Central Kenya, you will see there is a lot of grass and rainfall at the moment, yet there are is no initiative to help herders get grass in the most affected.”
Fourteen counties have been affected by a drought crisis in the country, with the majority of those affected being pastoralist regions.
“I knew that it would take the county government some time before they bring in intervention measures,” he said.
Today, he feels that his “Eureka moment” has been arrived as he delivers a lorry full of hay on his fifth trip to Lamu with 3,000 bales of hay wrapped and ready for sale.
“I have already sold 1,000 bales in Witu area, and I will be traversing Mokowe area where hay is in great demand,” he said.
Initially, onlookers were curious, then herders made funny remarks about him selling grass followed by serious inquisitors looking to buy the hay.
“I sell the hay at Sh400 per bale which is very fair considering that there are many overheads to consider when bringing it from Isinya to Lamu.”
Njenga is however able to still make a hefty profit.
“The hay that I have in this lorry can feed more than 500 cows for a month,” he reveals.
Although it is a case of a little too late, the Lamu county government has since partnered with Food and Agricultural Organisation to provide relief animal feeds to over 750 livestock keepers.
The initiative spread across the county will cover over 3,000 heads of cattle affected by drought and disease.
An emergency water trucking programme is also underway in Lamu, with the most affected areas being Moa, Chalaluma, Mangai, Kiangwe, Basuba, Roka, Belebele and Koreni.