The government is set to pay maize farmers who supplied the grain to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) next week. Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa said that vetting is over and the farmers will start receiving their dues.
Speaking at Nasukuta Abattoir in West Pokot County during the closing of the three day Frontier Counties Development Council conference which was held in the County, CS Wamalwa assured all farmers in the region that they will receive their dues by next week. “Am happy to announce that we have finished the vetting exercise and now all farmers will receive their dues,” he said.
The national treasury released Sh1.4 billion early this month to clear part of the Sh3.5 billion owed to farmers who sold their grain to the board in the five months to March.
Farmers have been demanding their dues on maize delivered between last October and March 2018.
The government embarked on vetting farmers in April after discovering that unscrupulous traders had imported cheap grain from Uganda and supplied it to NCPB to benefit from the Sh3,200 offered per 90-kilo bag.
Concerning the FCDC, CS Wamalwa said the program has shown how devolution is working in Counties, “We shall ensure Kenyans benefit from fruits of devolution,” he said.
The Chairman of FCDC Ali Roba said that time has come for pastoralists to lead the economy train after being marginalized for decades. “We were forgotten for over 50 years and this time we should be remembered. We need to uplift the lives of residents,” he said.
He said the recent discovery of natural resources like oil in marginalized Counties has changed the narrative of marginalization and the region being unproductive.
West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo said that they signed an agreement with the European Union over the Nasukuta Slaughter house which shall be operational by December.
He said that the 15% of government funds to Counties is not enough hence faulted the CRA concerning the current the formula used in sharing resources basing on population.