NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 24 – Legislators in the Agriculture Committee say they will paralyze the passage of the Supplementary Budget to protest the decision by the National Treasury to remove an Sh5 billion allocation meant for fertilizer subsidy for farmers.
Led by the Chairman and Moiben MP Silas Tiren, the MPs accused their colleagues in the Budget and Appropriations Committee of scheming behind their back and amending their proposal.
“It is now that we will want to see those who think of the people they represent or those who think that they can hide behind others. This is the time that we want to know who represents who because I believe food security is very important. It will be very expensive for this country to import maize in the event we have low yield next year,” he said.
A furious Tiren pleaded with President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and salvage the situation which he warned may lead to a food shortage crisis in the country due to low harvest.
“We want to know if they think that Kenyans can do without farmers, we want the Ministry of Agriculture to come out clean on whether they are willing to help us or they’re not willing. If they can subsidize fuel to the tune of Sh12 billion every month, what is so difficult to set aside Sh30 billion for farmers once in 12 months,” he said.
MPs Majimbo Kalasinga (Kabuchai) and Osman Mohammed (Fafi) accused the National Treasury of playing politics with the country’s food security.
“I am a practicing Catholic and I believe in Catholicism. I think the Ministry of Treasury is behaving like a Mother Superior, it is like it’s sitting on all other Ministries,” he said.
Mohammed claimed the action was being taken in order to curb loopholes that allowed misappropriation of the funds from the Ministry and which led to reorganization at the Ministry including reshuffling of former CS Mwangi Kiunjiru.
“It is unfair that Kenyans are being made to pay because of someone else failures. The people who stole from farmers are known, and they are around, they are busy campaigning here and there,” the Fafi MP stated.
Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Omukaha told the House team that the ministry was equally surprised by the removal of the funds and intend to raise the matter in the cabinet.
“We were very happy that the Committee actually, approved that and it was tabled in the House, but we are not privy to the step taken by the National Treasury. We are just learning of it now. We will go back and explain it to the CS, so that he can take it to the Cabinet and have the special intervention from Head-of-State, otherwise without that money our farmers will continue to suffer,” the CAS said.
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