A section of Members of Parliament from the North Rift region have threatened to mobilize farmers to take to the streets on Monday should the government fail to pay Sh1.4 million debt.
The debt if for maize the farmers supplied to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and his Devolution counterpart Eugine Wamalwa had promised to pay the farmers beginning this week, Monday, but the cash is yet to reflect in their bank accounts.
It is for this reason that MPs Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Silas Tiren (Moiben), Joshua Kandie (Baringo Central) and Wiper’s Sammy Seroney (nominated) claim the cash meant for farmers was redirected to brokers at the expense of genuine farmers.
“If by Monday they will have not paid the farmers, we will organize massive demonstrations in major towns in maize growing zones. We will bring farmers to the streets of Kitale, Moi’s Bridge, Eldoret, Kapsabet, Nandi Hills, Nakuru and all other maize growing areas,” said Keter at Parliament building on Wednesday.
"Farmers are about to make drastic decisions that will not be good to the country. They are tired of being cheated that they will be paid for maize they delivered to NCBP in January,” added Tiren.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri had last week announced that farmers will start receiving payments amounting to Sh1.4 billion for deliveries made to NCPB between October 2017 and April 2018 and attributed the delay in payments to lack of funds, ongoing verification of the farmers and incapacitation of the board of the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) that is supposed to make the payments.