Nandi Hills Member of Parliament Alfred Keter is preparing to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta to reveal cartels that have been fleecing the cereals board.
Speaking exclusively to Kenyans.co.ke, the legislator revealed that he was awaiting confirmation of the meeting where he will tell the President those responsible for the mess at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), which owes farmers Ksh5 billion.
He, however, did not confirm the exact number of the people involved in the graft but maintained that once President Kenyatta gets the names he will make them public.
During a presser on Monday, Keter mentioned that the same group was behind the removal of Moiben MP Silas Tiren as chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture.
[caption caption="MP Alfred Keter"]
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Keter further urged Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri to name the cartels responsible for filling NCPB depots with imported maize to the disadvantage of local farmers.
Addressing the issue, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago asked the government to pay farmers quickly and stop inconveniencing them.
Mandago, together with area Senator Margaret Kamar and Mosop MP Vincent Tuwei, noted that the Ksh1.9 billion NCPB probe should not delay payment for farmers and further urged the government to use emergency funds to clear the debt.
In March, the NCPB turned away hundreds of farmers in the North Rift telling them that its silos were full since imported cheap maize had flooded the market.
Meanwhile, the state has started registering farmers countrywide to weed out cartels and brokers.
[caption caption="Governor Mandago"]
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According to Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Andrew Tuimur, the ministry was liaising with the ICT ministry to see through the plan.
The plan to list farmers was mooted two years ago but there was a previous attempt in 2009, which failed to take off.
