Farmers in Trans Nzoia County took to the streets to protest the illegal expansion of a rural road they claimed led to the destruction of maize plantations.
According to the area representative, Jonathan Ameka, who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke on Saturday, July 1, the residents woke up one day to find their crops destroyed.
"It was so painful with the high cost of farming inputs. This is impunity, the county government did not give us a heads-up before starting the project," Ameka argued.
He added that despite holding meetings with the county government, no framework was established to compensate the hundreds of affected farmers.
Furthermore, he argued that the project went ahead despite their protests. Ameka was astonished that the county officials could destroy the maize so close to the harvest season.
"The compensation is not the main issue, we want a consultative meeting with the county government in the future. This felt like we were being bullied," he complained.
Ameka added that after the road markings were laid out, it was clear the farms would not need to be destroyed.
One of the farmers, Douglas Mbati, complained that he had lost maize worth Ksh 1 million as his farm was closer to the road.
Mbati emphasised that the community was not opposed to road expansion or development but were concerned about the destruction of the produce just days before the harvesting season.
"The losses here are considerable and we are requesting Governor George Natembeya to compensate us. The county is putting the livelihood of many people at risk," Mbati added.
In January 2022, Trans Nzoia County produced an average of 4.8 million bags, which fell short of the target. The decline was attributed to adverse factors such as drought, harvest losses, and armyworm invasion.
The government has consistently supported maize production as a means to ensure food security within the country.
Shortly after assuming office, the Kenya Kwanza government introduced subsidised fertiliser to alleviate the burden on farmers when it comes to purchase farming inputs.
