Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Blue Economy, is spearheading an investigation into how donor funds and allocations from county coffers have been utilized in various counties, with a focus on Bungoma.
Speaking on Saturday at Mabanga Agricultural Training College (ATC) in Bungoma during a meeting with Governor Kenneth Lusaka and county executives, Senator Wakoli emphasized the importance of accountability in the use of donor funding to enhance agricultural productivity.
“Our objective is to establish how agriculture-related donor funds have been spent, particularly in Bungoma. We want to ensure these resources are used prudently to benefit farmers and improve food production,” said Wakoli.
He added that the committee will also visit coffee cooperatives in the region following reports of widespread corruption within those societies.
“We’ve received complaints from farmers about alleged mismanagement in coffee societies. We’ll be conducting thorough checks to understand how they are operating and where the money is going,” Wakoli stated.
The Ford Kenya senator noted that the committee’s mission is to evaluate the overall impact of devolution on the agricultural sector.
“Our committee covers a wide scope, including livestock such as sheep, goats, donkeys, and camels, as well as the blue economy, which includes fish, horticulture, among others,” said Wakoli.
He further stated that the committee is keen to assess whether counties are aligning their value addition chains with the development of industrial parks.
“With the rise of industrial parks across counties, we are interested in seeing if agricultural value chains are being integrated into these developments and, more importantly, if they are translating into real benefits for people at the grassroots level,” Wakoli explained.
He assured that after the investigation, the committee will present actionable recommendations. Issues beyond the county’s capacity will be escalated to relevant national ministries for intervention.
Governor Lusaka welcomed the Senate committee’s visit, stating that their recommendations would help the county government identify and address areas of weakness in the agriculture sector.
“We look forward to the committee’s findings. They will guide us in improving service delivery and ensuring agriculture becomes a pillar of economic transformation in Bungoma,” said Lusaka.
In Bungoma, the committee visited and engaged coffee and dairy farmers and stakeholders at Kaptama Coffee Factory, dairy farmers in Mt Elgon, Menu Coffee Factory in Sirisia, and Chesikaki Coffee Factory.
Farmers, led by Mark Ndiema, lamented the lack of enough county agricultural extension officers, direct markets for their specific coffee factories, and low commodity prices compared to other regions.
