A Member of Parliament on Thursday publicly apologized to farmers in the North Rift region following what he termed as their failure to address their concerns.
The Matungu MP Justus Murunga who is a member of the National Parliament Agriculture Committee admitted that the government had not taken farmers issues seriously.
Farmers in the region have been up in arms over a myriad of challenges they have been facing among them delayed payments for maize delivered to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) as well as delay to supply them with the subsidized fertilizer.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and MPs of this committee, I want to sincerely apologize to farmers because we have failed them and that is the truth,” said the MP during a public forum with Uasin Gishu farmers in Eldoret town.
Murunga further hit out at the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri over the shortage of subsidized fertilizer being witnessed in the region.
He said the CS had assured them that sufficient subsidized fertilizer would be availed to farmers this planting season.
“I am surprised that farmers are complaining of lack of subsidized fertilizer yet the CS had assured us that they had imported enough for all farmers. I am now asking him where is the shortage coming from?” he posed.
The MP further dismissed reports that the government had presented a supplementary budget in parliament to seek for more funds to pay farmers who have supplied maize to NCPB.
He, however, said they are ready to rally other MPs to pass the supplementary budget should it be tabled by relevant ministry.
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