President William Ruto turned heads at a livestock auction in Mombasa on September 4 after bidding a whopping 1 million on a bull.
In what was an entertaining show on financial muscle by several leaders at the event. Ruto initially lost out on two prized bulls before eventually having the last laugh with a commanding Ksh1 million bid.
The auction kicked off with Ruto placing a Ksh200,000 bid for a bull nicknamed Santa Ghetto. The Head of State's initial bid was quickly overpowered by Principal Secretary for Livestock Jonathan Mueke, who raised the bar to Ksh300,000 before Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya sealed the deal with a Ksh350,000 bid.
In the next auction, a 5-year-old Boran breed bull was up for grabs. Weighing 775 kilograms, an initial offer of Ksh400,000 was placed by President Ruto, who was also quickly outmuscled financially by an unnamed bidder who raised the stakes to Ksh450,000.
However, it was Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir who walked away with the win after bidding Ksh500,000.
The third auction for a 3-year-old bull weighing 527 kg saw only two bids as Ruto sat this one out. The auction closed quickly at Ksh300,000.
It was during the fourth and final round that the President pounced, with a massive three-year-old Chianina bull weighing 885 kilograms on offer.
Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi opened the bidding at Ksh300,000, with Ruto stepping in with a Ksh400,000 bid. The price quickly escalated, with governor Abdulswamad bidding Ksh500,000, followed by Kingi's counter offer of Ksh550,000. Governor Abdulswamad came in with another offer of Ksh600,000.
It almost looked like the bid would end at Ksh600,000, but an unfazed President Ruto briefly paused and negotiations with both the governor and Senate Speaker ensued. Moments later, Ruto delivered a commanding Ksh1 million bid which all but ended the competition.
Later, the President officially opened the Mombasa ASK Show, where he lauded farmers for embracing modern techniques for breeding, pledging government support.
Farming Passion
The President has a long-standing passion for farming and livestock, which has often manifested itself through his expansive agricultural ventures which includes dairy cows, poultry and fruit farming.
In March, during a visit to his Narok farm, Ruto admitted farming was one of his great passions, as he urged more youth to embrace the sector previously associated with people from the countryside.
“Feeding the nation is very important. It is what the country needs. A nation that cannot feed itself cannot claim to be independent. For us to be independent, we must feed ourselves. I ask my fellow farmers to work hard,” he said.
