Agriculture minister Mwangi Kiunjuri has furious castigating members of Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund following a meeting at Raila Odinga's Capitol Hill offices on Thursday.
Members of the board led by former minister Noah Wekesa met Mr Odinga for several hours where they briefed him about the state of food security in the country.
"Received a briefing from officials of the Strategic Food Reserve Trustee Fund on the food situation in the country with a particular reference to Maize. The officials were accompanied by a section of MPs from Maize producing regions in our country," Mr Odinga had said.
After the meeting, which was also attended by a number of MPs from North Rift among them Joshua Kutuny, Wekesa ruled out importation of maize, arguing that the country has enough for now.
“Sometime in September, we are going to start receiving maize from the farmers in western regions and Bomet," Wekesa said.
But in a rejoinder, Kiunjuri dismissed the board, adding that the resolutions on food security can only be made by the ministry of Agriculture.
“Any other body that would like to issue a statement on maize imports cannot do that because the ministry has the final say. Any other organisation has to get information from the ministry,” Kiunjuri said
“He has no courtesy for the PS and the CS and has shown no respect for the last two weeks. Nobody has the authority on the food situation in the country except the ministry,” he said.
Mr Kiunjuri is a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto and is said to be preparing to be his running mate in 2022 polls. The team that visited Mr Odinga is perceived to be anti-Ruto.