Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria issued an ultimatum to farmers ahead of a Cabinet meeting to be chaired by President William Ruto.
In an address to Trans Nzoia residents on Saturday, November 26, the CS gave farmers a 72-hour ultimatum to release their maize accusing them of hoarding.
He explained that the farmers had only 72 hours to release the maize ahead of the meeting slated for Tuesday, November 29.
The CS noted that the final verdict either to import maize or buy from farmers depended on the outcome of the cabinet sitting.
“We have a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday where we shall be given a way forward. If the directive is to release (the maize) we shall release it.
“So you have 72 hours to release the maize before the Cabinet sitting. I see you have began distributing the maize and I like that,” stated Kuria.
He further noted that the decision to import maize was informed by the ongoing drought with the state hellbent on ensuring no one dies from hunger.
“We do not want to do what we are doing. We just don’t want anyone to lose their life due to hunger because we will blamed by this generation and the one next one,” he added.
Saboti lawmaker Caleb Amisi, who was in attendance, vouched for Trans Nzoia farmers maintaining that the county is the bread basket of the country.
He, however, hinted that the farmers were not getting returns on their investments – a situation likely to worsen if the importation is approved.
“This is Trans Nzoia and it is the bread basket of the Republic of Kenya. We have the basket but we don’t have the bread inside. Now you want to steal the basket.
“CS, the farmers here are our strength. We want to capacity-build our farmers,” he noted.
Kuria has been under fire in recent weeks after claiming that the state was in the process of importing genetically modified crops.
Leaders from North Rift region, however, decried the move arguing that it would put their farmers at a disadvantage.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE
