Bondo: Tinderet Sub County Farmers in Tinderet Sub County have increasingly turned to donkeys as a reliable means of transport for foodstuffs and farm produce as heavy rains continue to pound the area, rendering many feeder roads muddy and risky for motor vehicles.
According to Kenya News Agency, across several parts of the agriculturally rich sub county, farmers say the persistent rainfall experienced over the past weeks has disrupted movement of vehicles and motorcycles, forcing them to depend on donkeys to ferry maize, beans, vegetables, milk and other farm products to nearby markets and shopping centres.
In villages spread across Songhor/Soba, Kaplamai and Kapsimotwo wards, donkey carts have become a common sight along the slippery village paths where vehicles cannot move. At Kabirer village, farmer Joseph Kiprotich said the animals have become indispensable during the rainy season because they are able to navigate through muddy terrain.
Kiprotich noted that many farmers are currently harvesting vegetables and delivering milk daily, making transport a critical challenge during the ongoing rains. He explained that before the rains intensified, farmers used motorcycles and pick-up vehicles to transport produce to markets in places such as Chemase, Maraba and Kapsabet, but the deteriorating road conditions have pushed many transporters away.
At Kapsimotwo trading centre, trader and donkey owner Miriam Jelagat said demand for donkey transport services has sharply increased over the last month. She said the animals are helping residents transport farm produce from interior villages to roadside collection points where buyers and larger transport vehicles can access them.
According to her, a single donkey cart can make several trips a day depending on the distance and condition of the roads. She added that some youths in the area have also embraced donkey transport as a source of income by offering carriage services to farmers and traders.
Area residents observed that despite advancements in modern transport, donkeys remain highly valuable in rural economies, especially during adverse weather conditions. Farmer Esther Chebet from Songhor/Soba ward said donkeys have enabled women to continue supplying food to local markets despite the transportation challenges.
Chebet noted that some households without donkeys hire the services at affordable rates compared to tractors or motorcycles. The continued heavy rains have left many feeder roads in poor condition, with deep gullies, flooding and sticky mud hampering movement.
Residents are now calling on both the county and national governments to speed up road maintenance works to improve accessibility in the rural areas. Village elder Daniel Kibet said poor road infrastructure continues to affect agricultural productivity and market access whenever there is heavy rains.
Kibet, however, praised residents who continue using locally available solutions such as donkey transport to sustain economic activities. Agricultural officers in the area have also encouraged farmers to adopt proper post-harvest handling and seek reliable transport options to minimize losses during the wet season.
At Maraba market, traders said the steady arrival of vegetables and milk through donkey transport has helped stabilize supplies and prevent shortages. Trader Samuel Sang noted that while transport costs have risen because of poor roads, donkey transport remains relatively affordable for small-scale farmers.
Local leaders and residents have appealed for more investment in all-weather roads to support agricultural activities in the predominantly farming oriented region.
