The biggest causalities of the “maize politics” in Deputy President William Ruto’s Rift Valley backyard are youths from the region, political analyst Nerima Wako-Ojiwa has said.
Last week, three rebel Jubilee MPs -- Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills) and Silas Tiren (Moiben) -- linked the DP to low pricing of the commodity and late payment for farmers who sold their maize to the National Cereals and Produce Board.
Keter further claimed that Ruto is advocating for avocado farming in the Rift other than maize farming while he is growing maize on a 500,000-acre farm in Congo, allegations he did not adduce evidence to back.
These claims according to Nerima are likely to demotivate maize farmers in the region, the aftermath being the loss of jobs for the youths.
“Maize farming is a source of livelihood for many people in this region. It has created employment opportunities for many youths in the Rift Valley and if we do not take care of our farmers, our youths are the first casualties," said Nerima on Friday when contacted.
She added: “Maize should be a priority for the government looking at its Big Four agenda where food security falls under."
The analyst noted that the government has a mandate in ensuring that her people are taken care of by addressing concerns they have raised in maize farming such as low pay, delayed payment among other things.
She noted that the motive behind maize politics is to destroy Ruto’s reputation in his home ground with the intent to tarnish his name ahead of the 2022 presidential race.
Ruto on Sunday while speaking in Bomet castigated the three MPs stating that they are misleading the public on maize related issues within Rift Valley.
He cited that the rebel MPs are advancing a “selfish political agenda”.
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