A section of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) lawmakers have vowed to support the ouster of Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria over controversial importation of maize.
The Members of Parliament threatened to have the CS removed from office should maize be imported to the country. Led by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei the MPs questioned the legality of the move to import maize without cabinet approval.
They also stated that they want the move revoked given that farmers are about to harvest.
“We are aware that there are plans by the Ministry of Trade to import 10 million of bags of duty-free maize into the country while this is the season of harvest in the country.
It has never happened before that maize is imported into the country during harvest season yet we understand that local production is usually our first remedy,” they stated.
The seemingly angry legislators demanded answers as to why ships were docking at the Mombasa Port without the well-laid-down legal procedures in place.
“We are aware that there was no cabinet approval for the importation of duty-free maize,” they noted.
In addition, the MPs noted that Kuria’s move would undermine the intention of guaranteeing minimum returns to farmers.
The MPs also stated that the projection of harvest is at 42 million bags despite the high cost of farm inputs during the planting season.
“It seems that there is a deliberate move to kill maize farming as was the last regime,” the senator stated.
Those present during the press briefing were Mosop MP Abraham Kirwa Bitok, David Pkosing of Pokot South and Kimilili's Didmus Barasa
Political analyst Herman Manyora had on the evening of Monday, November 21 called for the removal of Kuria from office.
Speaking through his YouTube Channel, Manyora made a plea to President William Ruto asking him to remove Kuria from office following his previous remarks on Genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
“Why can’t Ruto listen to me even for one day? Look at the people he has put in office. Someone like Moses Kuria, look at what he was saying the other day. In which country can a minister say that and go back to office? Remove this man Kuria from the seat. He is my friend but let him leave. I trust him but the problem is his mouth I thought he will change,” stated Manyora.
He added that Ruto was being failed by the type of ministers he had appointed to work with.
“Even the choice of principal secretaries in terms of anchoring administration on tribe. Between Raila and Ruto perhaps Raila was more progressive and would have given a chance of rebirth to the country,” he added.
