Livestock markets are central to pastoral livelihoods in Turkana County, Kenya, yet weak price discovery, inadequate market information, unequal bargaining power, limited affordability and high transaction costs constrain the benefits of livestock commercialization. This study examines the relationship between pricing strategies, consumer behaviour and market performance in selected secondary livestock markets in Turkana County. A mixed-methods, non-experimental design was employed, drawing quantitative evidence from 168 livestock traders in Kerio, Lorugum and Lokori markets and qualitative evidence from government and civil-society stakeholders and market observations. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, analysis of variance and non-parametric tests where appropriate, while qualitative evidence was used for triangulation and thematic interpretation. The results demonstrate substantial weaknesses in price discovery and price-setting practices. Overall, 54.0% of traders disagreed or strongly disagreed that livestock prices were well discovered and set, while 51.6% expressed negative views regarding the methods used to determine prices. Similarly, approximately 52.0% reported inadequate dissemination of pricing information. Consumer affordability and satisfaction were also major concerns: 71.5% negatively assessed the affordability of livestock and prices, 63.0% negatively assessed meat-product affordability, and 71.3% disagreed that consumers were satisfied with prevailing pricing strategies. At the same time, 65.3% reported strong consumer presence, indicating a gap between potential demand and effective purchasing capacity. Significant differences were observed among the three markets in supply-demand and pricing-related scores, F(2,165) = 25.124, p < .001, with Lorugum recording substantially lower scores than Kerio and Lokori. Qualitative findings indicate that prices are predominantly established through buyer–seller negotiation, visual assessment and physical examination, with limited adoption of standardized grading and live-weight pricing. The findings demonstrate that livestock-market performance is shaped by the interaction of pricing practices, information asymmetry, bargaining power, competition, consumer purchasing capacity, infrastructure, transaction costs and seasonal conditions. The study concludes that improving market performance requires a market-systems approach centred on transparent and evidence-based price discovery rather than administrative price fixing. Priority interventions include regular market-price information systems, standardized grading, progressive adoption of live-weight pricing, stronger producer and trader organizations, improved competition, reduced transaction costs, better market connectivity, consumer-responsive market segmentation and value addition. These measures can strengthen price transparency, improve bargaining outcomes and support more competitive, commercially viable and consumer-responsive livestock markets in Turkana County.