Garissa livestock traders to sue gov’t over water shortage

Traders at the Garissa Livestock Market have threatened to sue the Garissa County Government for lack of water at the marketplace.

Led by the chairman of the livestock marketing council Dubat Ali Amey, the traders said they have not received a drop of water at the market for the past three months.

Amey said that the legal action would seek to stop forthwith the county government from collecting fees and other levies at one of the largest livestock market in the country.

The chairman said that the county government rakes in over Sh500,000 every Wednesday (market day) from levies on traders and livestock.

The county charges Sh160 per head of cattle, Sh200 for a camel and Sh60 for a sheep and goats.

Amey said that the marketing council in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has maintained a constant supply of hay every market day but the animals, because of the high temperatures, need a lot of water to survive.

Ahmed Nurie Ali, a trader at the market and a Garissa resident, said they have visited all the relevant offices to complain about the erratic water supply at market but they don’t seem concerned.

Ali said that the county clerks are quick to collect their levies but they have nothing to show for the money, lamenting that they are not receiving the services they need.

In Garissa, the market, which is probably as old as the town itself, is crowded from as early as 8am in the morning and serves traders from neighboring Mandera, Mwingi and Wajir while most of the livestock traded at the market are transported by trucks to markets in Nairobi.

The market receives livestock from not only the country, but also neighboring countries like Somalia and Djibouti.

Livestock trade is the main economic activity and a critical source of livelihood for the pastoral community as well as an important link between the borderlands in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Such trade, mainly in cattle, has existed for centuries and has continued to experience phenomenal growth.

With the increase in temperatures, the traders are likely to lose their livestock, which is their source of livelihood.

Recently, the residents undertook to numerous protests, saying that the Garissa Water and Sewerage Company was only giving water to some parts of Garissa Town while River Tana is less than 3km from the town center.