John Njoroge is a farmer from Kiminini Sub-County, Trans Nzoia County. He rose to national fame after selling a bull to former President Uhuru Kenyatta for Ksh1 million during the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show in Narok. He left the event with Ksh2 million after selling four bulls.
Njoroge made a comeback to national headlines during the October 20, 2022, Mashujaa Day celebrations when he gifted President William Ruto a 1,500-kilogram bull estimated to cost Ksh1 million.
The Trans Nzoia farmer stated that he gifted President Ruto the bull as a token of appreciation for his efforts in empowering hustlers in the country.
“I understand that the President knows there are small-scale farmers because he has been pushing for the empowerment of hustlers. This bull will always remind him to continue empowering the hustlers,” Njoroge said on Mashujaa Day.
Njoroge who is also a preacher, commended the head of state for making State House Nairobi a prayerful residence, adding that he had taken the country back to God.
He recounted that he had sold a bull to Uhuru, but this time around, he was gifting President Ruto one.
“That is long gone. This time around I am just gifting his successor because of what he has managed to for Kenyans for the little time he has been in office,” he said.
Njoroge revealed that he has spent over Ksh500, 000 caring for this bull.
“For the short time that he has been in power, Ruto has fulfilled a lot of his promises. For instance, as farmers, we used to suffer a lot by purchasing fertiliser at higher prices but he has helped lower these prices,” he added.
The farmer also lauded President Ruto for his efforts towards growing Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“I, therefore, celebrate him for some of these milestones. He has also promised to support SMEs. I also celebrate him for the Hustler Fund,” Njoroge said.
He offered to take the bull to the president’s home in Sugoi, Uasin Gishu County.
Vincent Waswa Wanyonyi, a veterinary officer from Kiminini who has served Njoroge for over 15 years, affirmed that the farmer had invested heavily in the bull that he gifted President Ruto.
“While still a calf, he used to give it a lot of milk, five litres every morning and evening. It is barely three years, and he feeds it on silage mostly,” Wanyonyi said.
Quitting Dairy Farming
On September 21, 2021, Njoroge told The Standard that he had been forced to quit dairy farming due to the high cost of production and low returns. He noted that the cost of production did not match the sales.
He revealed that he was forced to sell some of his animals at one point to stay afloat. He recounted a time when he used to sell 1,000 litres a day at between Ksh40 to Ksh50 per litre. However, milk prices plummeted and in June 2019, he sold a litre of milk for Ksh19, making huge losses.
“Despite the fall of milk prices, the cost of feed kept escalating and it became a real challenge to sustain the business,” he narrated.
According to the father of three, the high cost of feeds crippled his business as the prices of soya and cotton cake, which are essential for dairy cows, continued to rise at the time.
“The cost of producing a litre of milk is KSh 40 while the cost of making a kilogram of dairy meal is Ksh50,” he said adding that a cow gets to eat more than it produces.
As of September 2021, Njoroge stated that his remaining animals fetched him Ksh20,000 per month, from which he spent Ksh17,000 on feeds.
