Maize farmers will be paid Sh2,300 for a bag of maize and no other sum as announced by the media, the Government has affirmed. In an announcement released on Tuesday, Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga denied claims that the administration offered Sh.3,000 per 90kg sack.
The PS took issue with a Standard newspaper journalist who happened to have reported a different figure.
“My attention has been drawn to a story (by Otiato Guguyu) in today’s (December 18) The Standard Newspaper which quotes me as ‘settling’ the debate between Government, farmers and politicians. The author of the article did not write it with the best intention for Kenyan farmers,” the statement reads
The PS further named the article as ' terribly malicious' expression it might have been 'filled with errors and deceptions'. He said the Cabinet had effectively conceded to the Ksh.2,300 cost and as a Permanent Secretary he has no authority to change such a decision
The PS proceeded to say that his main duty is to execute government policies and not 'settle debates on maize pricing. PS Boga asked farmers to dismiss the Tuesday article and requested that the administration of the Standard paper issue an expression of remorse.
There has been a furious discussion in the previous couple of months over what value the administration ought to receive for a 90-kg pack of maize. This drove the Cabinet on November 22 to intercede and set the cost for maize farmers at Sh2,300 per sack of maize.
The move was dismissed by a Senate group and a group of leaders from the North Rift who said they were representing the interest of maize farmers.