Photos on Monday night, February 26, circulated online of the meeting between President William Ruto, Azimio leader Raila Odinga and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the latter's Kisozi-based farm.
The three leaders were pictured tending to Museveni's cattle as they engaged in discussions on several issues, key among them Raila's declaration of African Union Commission chairmanship.
Apart from the meeting, observers were quick to notice President Museveni's cattle, all branded with his initials - YKM.
Museveni, renowned for his passion for cattle farming, initiated the registration and issuance of birth certificates to cattle in July 2019. He argued that this measure would facilitate Uganda's entry into the global market.
At the time, he also contended that the move would gain the buyer's trust upon knowing the source of the meat.
Museveni possesses over 6,000 heads of cattle at his Kisozi and Rwakitura farms, mainly of the Ankole breed which is hailed for its long horns.
He attributed the reason for breeding Ankole to health benefits for the consumer. In a series of tweets in 2022, Museveni revealed that Ankole possesses yellow fat which is low in cholesterol as compared to other cattle breeds, whose fat is white and high in cholesterol.
High cholesterol hampers blood flow from arteries by blocking the blood vessels. This can cause heart complications leading to strokes or heart attacks.
Additionally, the species is celebrated for its milk, which is abundant in nutrients. Experts revealed that there is a significant demand for Ankole-based cattle as it is set to become extinct in the next 20 years.
Price Tag
In 2022, Museveni noted that he sells the Ankole bulls each at a price tag of 120,000 US dollars. At the time, the Kenyan shilling traded at Ksh118.65 against the green buck hence this translated to Ksh15million. With the current rate, 120,000 US dollars equates to Ksh17.5 million.
One of the buyers, according to the Ugandan president, is his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa who purchased 43 bulls. Ramaphosa later sold one bull to the Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe at the same price tag.
"Talking of unknowingly sitting on gold!! There you are," Museveni stated while heaping praise on cattle farming.
