Kisii. Friday morning. 9:00 AM.
You know that feeling when you're going for an event thinking, “Sawa, we'll do the training, meet a few people, have lunch and head back”?
Yeah.
That was the plan.
Then Kisii happened.
On Friday, 11th September, Medilink Vet Suppliers teamed up with Ceva Santé Animale (Laprovet) for a technical training on cattle fertility at Dallas Premier Hotel in Kisii.
The target? Veterinary practitioners and Artificial Insemination technicians.
The mission? Talk cattle fertility, synchronization, conception rates and, of course, show off some of the equipment that helps make all this happen.
Simple.
At least on paper.
First Things First: 94 People Walk In
By the time things got going, 94 veterinary practitioners and AI technicians had made their way into the room.
Ninety-four!
At that point, you know this isn't one of those events where you put 50 chairs in a room and hope for the best.
The room was properly occupied.
Wambui, our Sales Manager, got things started by introducing Medilink and talking about what we do — supplying quality veterinary equipment and supporting professionals across the region.
Peter Njoroge, our Rift Valley Sales Rep, then took the group through how Medilink supports clients in the field, including the channels available to AI technicians.
So far, so good.
Everyone was attentive.
Everyone was behaving.
Then we brought out the equipment.
And that's when things got interesting.
Once the Equipment Came Out…
There's something about a PowerPoint presentation that makes people politely nod.
Put an actual AI gun or tank on the table?
Different story.
Suddenly, everyone wants to see.
Peter took the group through some of the Medilink AI equipment, including liquid nitrogen storage containers, insemination guns, sheaths, and other field consumables.
There was also a practical look at Ceva's synchronization products, including PRID® DELTA, Cystoreline and Enzaprost, and how they fit into estrus synchronization programmes for dairy and beef herds.
And now the questions started coming.
You know Kenyan professionals.
Give them a chance to ask questions and suddenly that “30-minute Q&A” can become a parliamentary sitting.
But honestly, that's exactly what we wanted.
Because these weren't random questions.
They were questions from people actually dealing with cattle fertility issues in the field.
Then Dr Richard Said, “Let's Talk Cows.”
Dr Richard Kibocha took the group through a three-hour technical session covering cattle fertility management, silent heat, conception rates and synchronization protocols.
And this was probably my favourite part of the day.
Because you could see the difference between “I'm attending a training” and “I have a problem on a farm and I need to understand what's happening.”
The Q&A became very interactive, with practitioners bringing up the challenges they encounter in their day-to-day work.
This is where a training becomes more than a training.
You have someone from the field asking a question.
Someone else says, “Ata mimi niko na hiyo shida.”
Another person adds their experience.
And before you know it, you've got a room full of professionals sharing what is happening on actual farms.
That's the kind of conversation we like.
Then Came Lunch… But Nobody Was Really Done Talking
Officially, the programme had reached the networking lunch.
Unofficially?
People were still talking.
And this time, some of the conversations were sounding very familiar:
“How much is that tank?”
“Do you have the catheters?”
“What about the synchronization packages?”
Ah.
Now we were getting somewhere.
There was clearly interest in the equipment and products that had been demonstrated.
The only small issue was the reality we all know too well:
Nairobi is not Kisii.
If a customer wants something immediately, having to factor in transport costs and delivery time can make the whole thing a little less exciting.
You can almost hear the Kenyan customer saying:
*"So nikilipa leo, itafika lini?"*
Fair question.
In fact, it was almost like Kisii itself was giving us a free business lesson:
If customers are already gathered in one place and they're ready to buy, it helps when the product is right there too.
Point taken, Kisii.
Point taken.
Our assurance to them was our 24-hour (or less, mind you) delivery time which is taken very seriously in our company. That seemed to ease them up.
So, What Are We Taking Back to Nairobi?
Apart from a few more kilometres on the odometer and a lot of good conversations?
Quite a bit.
The biggest lesson was that these events aren't only about standing at the front of a room and talking.
They're about bringing the right people together.
They're about sharing practical knowledge.
They're about allowing veterinary professionals and AI technicians to ask the questions they actually face in the field.
And, yes, they're also about making sure that when someone says:
“Tunakuja.”
…we take them seriously.
The Kisii Takeaway
Looking back, the Kisii training was a good reminder of why we do these events in the first place.
We had 94 professionals in one room, a packed technical session, practical equipment demonstrations, plenty of questions and some very useful conversations around cattle fertility.
For us at Medilink, that's what makes these trainings worthwhile.
Because behind every AI technician is a farmer.
Behind every synchronization programme is a herd.
And behind every conversation about improving conception rates is the bigger goal of helping farmers get better results from their animals.
So, Kisii…
Asante for hosting us.
We came to train.
We demonstrated.
We answered questions.
We networked.
We learnt a few things ourselves.
And we left with one very clear thought:
Next time, tutaongeza viti.
Just in case. 😉