NYERI, Kenya, 4 – Leaders from Mt Kenya have faulted President Uhuru Kenyatta’s advisors for misleading him on the state of the agricultural sector in the country.
The leaders said the state of the nation address speech on agriculture was out of touch with the reality on the ground.
They included Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, MPs Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Dindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Alice Wahome (Kandara), Kimani Ichungwa (Kikuyu), Rahab Mukami (Nyeri), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Faith Gitau (Nyandarua) and Irungu Kangata (Muranga).
Others were George Kariuki (Ndia), Rindikiri Mugambi (Buuri), George Koimburi (Juja), Aisha Jumwa (Malindi) and former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu
They said the President was misled by his advisors to issue a false report on the state of the agricultural sector in the country.
Speaking in Nyeri County, in the company of Deputy President William Ruto, the leaders said farmers’ earnings have gone down while the cost of fertilizer has gone up, contrary to the President’s report last Tuesday.
Nyoro urged President Kenyatta to demand for accurate information from the Ministry of Agriculture on the true situation of issues at the grassroots.
“We want to tell the President that farmers are suffering. He should sack those who are misleading him because what the reported he gave in Parliament is different from what Kenyan farmers are experiencing at the grassroots,” said Nyoro.
He added: “The price of fertilizer that the President said had gone down is now retailing at Sh5000, yet it used to be lower during the previous regime.”
Ichungwa asked state officials in charge of agriculture to stop deceiving the Head of State that all was well while the reality was that ‘farmers are really suffering’.
“We are asking them to stop misleading the President because tea, coffee and milk farmers are undergoing untold suffering,” said Ichungwa.
Kangata and Gachagua expressed confidence that Dr Ruto will address the region’s economic challenges citing tea, coffee and milk farming if he takes over the presidency.
“The people of Mt Kenya have settled on Dr Ruto because he has a solution to tea, coffee and milk farming in the region,” said Kangata.
Gachagua said the plight of tea, coffee and milk farmers needed to be addressed as they have suffered for far too long.
Ichungwa said the country can no longer afford to invest in the wrong priorities, noting that economic recovery ought to be the country’s top agenda.
“Our first priority will be the economy. We are in a rush to revive the economy and eradicate poverty under the leadership of Dr Ruto,” he said.
Jumwa said they will not let their detractors to deflate their determination of championing for an economic revolution.
“We are in a hurry to revive the economy so that we can build a self-reliant nation,” said MP Jumwa.
Waiguru said the people of Mt Kenya were joining the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) because of its revolutionary economic agenda.
The Deputy President on his part, said UDA’s resolve to revamp the country’s economy was unstoppable.
He said he was determined to fulfil the government’s promise on economic revival and job creation.
“I will make sure that we fulfil our pledge of creating jobs by investing in manufacturing, housing and agricultural programmes,” said Dr Ruto.
The Deputy President said he was teaming up with leaders from across the country to form a national political party that will champion the country’s national development agenda.
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