With the push for a constitutional change through a referendum gaining momentum, Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago has set a condition under which he will support it.
Speaking during the burial of Benjamin Kiplimo, the owner of Silverline hotel in Eldoret town who was laid to rest on Saturday, Mandago said the government should first budget to buy maize from farmers before going the referendum way.
“Farmers have really suffered and it is only last week that they have been paid after delivering maize to NCPB for a year now. We need funds set aside to buy maize this year before anybody starts telling us about the referendum,” he said.
The Jubilee governor expressed concerns that despite farmers now harvesting their maize, the government did not allocate sufficient funds for the purchase of the produce.
“We are told that the referendum will cost Sh12 billion, let’s use Sh5 billion to buy maize from farmers then the balance will be used for a referendum,” noted Mandago.
The vocal county boss further warned that if the funds for maize purchase will not be set aside, farmers will boycott planting the produce.
“The government should help us settle the farmer's issues once and for all as they have suffered a lot,” he added.
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