Farmers from Uasin Gishu, Nandi, and Trans Nzoia counties, the country's’ food basket on Monday convened a meeting in Eldoret town to discuss the way forward following the unearthing of the maize scandal.
The meeting held at the Teachers Advisory Centre (TAC) in Eldoret town saw elected leaders also attend.
Earlier, the meeting had caused discomfort from some local leaders with tension rising especially after Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi on Sunday said he would not allow it to go on.
The meeting would, however, go on smoothly and ended with the leaders and farmers reaching a 10-pout resolution.
They include:
1. It is resolved that true farmers should be paid for the crops they delivered to the NCPB.
2. Farmers who still hold grains in their stores should be allowed to deliver them at the cereals stores.
3. Millers should be audited, those who imported from Uganda and Mexico and sold them to NCPB and bought them back under subsidy should be pinpointed.
4. There should be a complete audit of maize imported from Mexico to determine the quantity that went to millers and those that traders sold to NCPB.
5. Nakuru NCPB have never received maize from farmers for the last 16 years and with erratic weather, fall armyworm and other challenges record maize was delivered from nowhere. Special audit also should show whether people manipulated the weighing system without unloading the maize, physical audit is necessary to determine the actual in the stores.
6. Was the shortage of maize in 2017 real or artificial?
7. An audit should be done n zero-rated maize that was delivered after the official period was over that may have gone to the local NCPB as locally produced.
8. The government should devolve the NCPB stores to the county government so that they can be used to deliver all locally produced maize.
9. Local MPs should work closely with the Agriculture Committee to push farmer’s agenda.
10. The government of Kenya should support farmers by waiving interest on farmers who have not been paid since maize was delivered and the offset the outstanding loans