The bull that fetched Sh1 million at Nairobi show

A large, brown Boran bull with white spots trots majestically out of the auction pen at Jamhuri Showground, Nairobi, unaware of the cheers from the crowd.

It has a short head and weighs 690 kilos. Bidding on the bull starts and the highest bidder, a top government official, pays Sh1 million for it.

“The Boran was the supreme champion at the 2024 ASK [Agricultural Society of Kenya],” Leonard Kipkosgei, the head of production at Elgon Downs Farm, a 4,500-acre farm in Kitale, Trans Nzoia county, which rears bulls, tells Lifestyle. The farm is owned by Kenya Seed Company.

While crossbred bulls have often won before, in this year's show, which ended on Sunday, the purebred Boran breed took centre stage.  Boran bulls are loved for their meat.

In 2018, a Boran and Simmental crossbreed, also from Elgon Downs Farm, claimed the reserve champion prize, fetching Sh650,000.

The bull weighed 650 kilos, 40 kilos less than this year’s champion.

The second-best bull at the 2024 show weighed 600 kilos, according to Mr Kipkosgei.

Elgon Downs has over 600 head of cattle, and 40 of its bulls were auctioned at the agricultural show.

What they eat

Mr Kipkosgei said the key to rearing bulls to such a coveted weight lies in fattening.

“The finishing stage is crucial for beef cattle,” he said.

The finishing stage allows the animals to evenly distribute fat across their bodies, resulting in better-quality meat.

Elgon Downs Farm’s pasture include Boma Rhodes, maize stalks, forage sorghum, hay, desmodium, and a variety of protein-rich oilseeds such as sunflower, soya beans, canola, and cotton.

“We grow and process our own feed, which we use to supplement the herd during the finishing stage,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of balancing protein and carbohydrate content in the feed to ensure optimal growth.

Sh1,500 per kilo

Haron Kimutai, the farm’s veterinarian, said Boran cows are preferred because they are hardy.