In what has been a longstanding tradition for many Kenyan families, the once-beloved goat meat may take a backseat this Christmas and New Year's season as rising prices and shortages drive consumers to alternatives such as sheep and cow meat.
Over the years, Kenyans have favoured goat meat as a festive meal. The holiday's joy is in the men slaughtering and roasting the goat while the women cook other meals and the children play around.
However, goat prices have doubled in Nairobi and its environs, reaching a high of Sh17,000 from just two months ago, forcing families to rethink the delicacy.
Mohammed Sora, a seller in Nairobi’s Kiamaiko market says the increase in live goat prices is attributed to the high demand typical of the holiday season, the rising cost of transport, and supply chain disruptions as farmers favour export markets that fetch better prices.
“The prices of goats have really gone high, because it's the festive season. Right now, we are selling the smaller goats at Sh10,000 to Sh12,000, and the larger ones range from Sh15,000 to Sh17,000," he says.
Kenyans shopping for goats say the search for well-priced goats is proving difficult as Christmas nears, with the few who have them quoting as high as Sh20,000.
Mr Sora however says there is no shortage as the recent rains have provided ample water and pasture for the livestock keepers, increasing the supply.
“Despite the inflation, we still have customers who are dedicated to the tradition of buying goats to celebrate this Christmas," he adds.
Joseph Muigai, a concerned father, says it might be hard to continue the goat nyama choma family tradition and is contemplating buying cow meat this Christmas. Traditionally, Mr Muigai and his brothers would pool resources to purchase three goats to share amongst their families. However, this year’s economic challenges and tightened budgets have cast a shadow over the usual celebratory plans.
“I have not yet decided whether my family and I will have nyama choma, and if we do, it will definitely be cow meat. Our family tradition involves splitting the cost with my brothers and buying three goats, but this Christmas things are a bit tight, and life is hard. I highly doubt if my children will enjoy goat meat,” says Mr Muigai.
Brian Odhiambo,36, a resident of Nairobi, also says it will be difficult to adhere to the customary celebration of goat meat this Christmas.
“It is no brainer; I am not buying any goat this Christmas. We are going to eat whatever will be available, and as of now, cow meat is what I can afford,” he says.
He further notes that the coming weeks will reveal whether the shift towards more affordable meats is a temporary response to current market conditions or a lasting adjustment that may alter the culinary landscape of Kenyan holiday celebrations for years to come.
“Let’s see if it will be like this forever or things will switch up,” he said.
As Kenyans mull over mutton, a Nation.Africa spot check shows sheep prices have also gone up.
"The funny thing is sheep is also expensive as well, something that I did not expect considering many Kenyans prefer goat and cow meat.
When I went to the market to buy that sheep, I was shocked that it was going at Sh15,000. So for me, if not chicken, we are just going to do cow meat, which is a disappointment because goat slaughtering and roasting is a tradition that I have grown up with, and I wanted to pass it down to my children. But well, life has been hard as it is,” he said.
According to Mr Sora, the livestock seller, the sheep prices have always been high because they are few and the supply is low.
“Sheep prices are up to Sh15,000,” he says.
A spot check by Nation.Africa reveals that while goats are still available in some markets, particularly in places such as Chwele in Bungoma, and other regions, farmers are facing challenges in transporting their livestock to Nairobi. The cost of transportation has skyrocketed, making it economically unfeasible for many farmers to bring their goats to the city.
“The prices remain as low as they were. You see, here we have farmers, and practically everyone has sheep in their homesteads. Therefore, it's challenging to set the price high because there wouldn’t be many buyers. The supply is abundant, but the demand is low. Currently, we are selling sheep from Sh5,000 to Sh13,000, and it’s proving difficult for the stock to move. People are increasingly conscious of the high cost of living and are reluctant to spend on items like goats,” said Enock Sululu, a seller at Chwele market.
“People here don’t like eating sheep meat so it is a throwaway price at Sh5,000,” he said.
