Victoria Rotich, 62 years old woman from Moiben has expressed her disappointment after being linked with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) looting scandal. She is disappointed that she is being accused yet she worked hard for the money she received.
Mrs. Rotich has been involved in the NCPB maize scandal after her three children were named as suspects. Celestine Chepchirchir, Caroline Chepchumba, and Rodney Kimutai were paid Sh333 million, Sh96 million and Sh2.2 million, respectively.
However, she rubbished off these claims stating that she worked hard for the monies. She has 1,500 farmers who supply maize at NCPB under her name.
“Due to the delay in payment at the NCPB, they prefer to do it under my name. I, therefore, pay them in cash and wait for the delayed cheques, I get a small margin of profit by waiting,” she said
At the NCPB, she is recorded under her three children. She took her farm produce from over 2,100 acres of maize and those delivered by 1,500 farmers under her name. That accounts for the monies she received.
“I have previously been paid millions of my sweat, I have not stolen a single shilling, instead I support several farmers,” she said.
However, it surprises her how hard she works sometimes until late in the night but still called a thief.
“My whole life is dedicated to my farm. Many a time I have spent the entire night with the workers harvesting our maize. I do not know whether a cartel can spend the night in the cold but a hardworking farmer can,” she avers.