Isiolo Export Abattoir expects to begin buying livestock from farmers in Isiolo County and neighbouring beginning March next year as installation of key equipment near completion.
The Ksh 850 million facility whose construction began 16 years ago is expected to provide ready-market for farmers in the region when operations begin.
The ongoing installations mark the final stages in construction of the facility which is also set to provide employment opportunities for hundreds of youths as well as support development of other industries in the livestock value chain such tanneries.
According to the project engineer James Munyoki, the facility will have two rail lines, a fully automated one for sheep and goats, and a static one for cattle and camels.
“We have one line for goat and sheep which is fully automated and a static line for cows,” he stated.
He said that following the redesigning of the abattoir, both the primary and secondary structures supporting the rails are made of galvanized steel metals, while the rails that will come into contact with meat are made of stainless steel.
Stanley Kirimi from the Ministry of Agriculture, and who co-ordinated the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) which co-funded the facility with the County Government of Isiolo termed the progress of the abattoir as impressive, expressing optimism that the facility will be opened by the end of March as anticipated.
“We are even envisioning that we will have livestock imports from Ethiopia and Somalia,” he added.
The Isiolo export abattoir which sits on a landmass of more than 500,000 acres including the feedlots, disease free zone and livestock receiving yard has the capacity to slaughter over 1,000 sheep and goats, 300 cows and over 100 camels on a single day.
The project contractor Isack Hajj said that progress at the facility was going according to plan, noting that he expects to complete the remaining installation works by the end of march to pave way for its official opening and operationalization.
Kirimi noted that the facility was co-funded by the County Government of Isiolo to the tune of Ksh 400 million and the World Bank through the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project to the tune of a further Ksh 450 million.
Its catchment area is expected to be Isiolo and the neighboring counties of Samburu, Laikipia, Meru, Garissa, Wajir and Marsabit, as well as the neighboring nations of Ethiopia and Somalia.
