TANA RIVER-Hundreds of meat traders in Hola, Tana River County, say they are suffering heavy losses following the closure of the Hola slaughterhouse several months ago, forcing them to transport livestock to Bura for slaughter before returning the meat to Hola for sale.
The traders say the move has significantly increased operating costs, delayed meat deliveries and driven away customers, threatening the viability of their businesses.
One of the traders, James Muchina, said transport costs have more than doubled since the closure of the Hola facility.
“We used to pay KSh300 per goat at the Hola slaughterhouse, but now we pay KSh700 to transport each goat to Bura for slaughter. The cost of doing business has become very high,” Muchina said.
According to the traders, they now travel about 74.7 kilometres from Hola to Bura, often leaving as early as 2:00 a.m., to ensure the meat reaches their butcheries as early as possible.
Besides the higher transport costs, the traders also raised concerns about conditions at the Bura slaughterhouse, saying inadequate water supply has affected hygiene standards and increased their expenses.
“The shortage of water at the Bura slaughterhouse forces us to spend extra money cleaning the meat to meet public health standards. Sometimes we even have to discard some of the meat,” Muchina added.
The traders are now urging the Tana River County Government to reopen the Hola slaughterhouse, arguing that doing so would reduce their operational costs and improve service delivery.
“We are appealing to the county government to reopen the Hola slaughterhouse because the losses we are incurring every day are becoming unbearable,” he said.
To offset the increased transport expenses, the traders say they have been forced to increase the retail price of meat by KSh50 per kilogram, a move they fear could further discourage customers.
They also say the relocation of slaughter services has delayed the arrival of fresh meat in Hola butcheries. Previously, meat was available by around 6:00 a.m., but it now reaches shops between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., causing many customers to seek alternative suppliers.
“Customers used to find fresh meat early in the morning, but now they have to wait until late morning. Many of them are leaving without buying or turning to other sellers,” said one trader.
The traders are calling on the county government to urgently restore slaughtering services in Hola, saying the move would lower business costs, improve meat supply and help revive the local meat trade.
