Stop your PR stunts on maize farmers, Murkomen tells Mandago

 

A side to side photo of Governor Mandago and Sen. Murkomen 

Elgeiyo Marakwet Senator Onesimus Murkomen has lashed out at the Uasin Gishu and Elgeiyo Marakwet governors over what he has termed as Public relations stunts.

This comes barely a day after the two governors met with the head of state over the troubled maize industry.

Mandago through a communique, stated that he had initiated talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta when he visited Uasin Gishu for the pass out parade of military personnel a few days ago.

Harambee house meeting attended by President Kenyatta and the governors

As a follow up, the governor led a delegation of maize growing counties to the office of the president.

During the meeting, it was agreed that henceforth, there wouldn't be any importation of maize into the country until the NCPB had mopped up all the grains from farmers.

ALSO READ: Statement by Murkomen on the state of Agriculture in Kenya

It was also agreed that NCPB would buy maize from farmers at Ksh. 2500/= per bag. The Cereals board was also directed to provide farmers with its storage facilities at a cost of ksh. 3/= per bag, per month.

Farmers who supplied their produce to the cereals board are also expected to be paid by 2nd October 2020.

MURKOMEN

Murkomen was not amused by the statement read by President Kenyatta.

He questioned the reason why the government settled on Ksh. 2500/= per bag yet the farmers were in dire need of government support in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

He stated that it was discriminatory that while government was rolling out intervention measures to revive other sectors of the economy, farmers were being asked to accept a paltry 2500 shillings.

He termed the whole exercise a public relations stunt, given that the Agriculture ministry through the NCPB had declined to purchase maize from farmers and that there wasn't any law that would compel the private sector acquire the produce dictated by the government.

BARE MINIMUM 

Senator Murkomen gave out the bare minimums expected by farmers from the government.

He called on the ministry to restore the subsidized farm inputs supplied under the directions of the government.

He also requested that government immediately resumes the purchasing of maize from farmers at a cost of Ksh. 3500/= and not the 2500/= that was announced by President Kenyatta.

He also called for a conference to be attended by farmers and representatives of the government to discuss the dwindling fortunes in the agriculture sector. 

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Immediate payment of farmers who supplied NCPB three years ago.

"It is shameful that leaders from maize growing regions to be part of this PR exercise being propagated by government through the ministry of agriculture to hoodwink farmers who look up to us for redemption from the tentacles of poverty." Said Murkomen.