Dairy farmers in Trans Nzoia County have achieved a significant milestone in financial empowerment after Brookside Dairy facilitated the acquisition of a 10,000-litre milk collection tanker for the Nzoia Dairy Farmers Co-operative Union through an interest-free facility.
The initiative, unveiled in Kitale, demonstrates a sustainable financing model that allows cooperatives to access critical assets without the burden of debt.
The milk collection tanker, handed over by Brookside’s Milk Procurement General Manager Emmanuel Kabaki, is expected to streamline milk collection across Trans Nzoia and neighbouring Bungoma counties.
The union’s chairman, Robert Makhanu, received the tanker in the presence of County Agriculture Executive Phanice Khatundi and Isuzu’s representative, Betty Kariuki.
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Kabaki explained that the facility was structured to be recoverable from milk proceeds, ensuring that farmers repay the value of the tanker gradually and sustainably. “The proceeds from transportation will serve as compensation for the union, strengthening its financial base and operational capacity,” he said.
This asset-based financing approach mirrors models commonly used by SACCOs to empower members through affordable credit. By providing access to equipment and infrastructure without interest, Brookside has demonstrated how private sector partnerships can enhance cooperative capacity and accelerate rural economic growth.
Beyond financing, Brookside has continued to support farmers through capacity-building initiatives, including fodder seed distribution from its Kitale Fodder Resource Centre and breed improvement programmes. The company has also supplied 400 semen straws and access to liquid nitrogen to improve dairy breeds, a move aimed at increasing milk productivity and quality.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya lauded the initiative, noting that the partnership between Brookside and local cooperatives strengthens the county’s dairy value chain. “Such collaborations not only provide farmers with the tools they need to grow but also create sustainable income streams that transform rural livelihoods,” he said.
The Sh160 million earned by Trans Nzoia farmers from milk deliveries to Brookside last year underscores the sector’s potential when supported through inclusive financing and cooperative strength.
By Mercy Kokwon
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