President William Ruto on Thursday, March 13, gave the Ministry of Agriculture seven days to sort out the shortage of subsidised fertiliser in different parts of the country.
Speaking in Kericho county during the official opening of the Kericho Passport Centre, the head of state issued the directive after receiving complaints from farmers over delayed access to subsidised fertilisers.
While giving the orders, Ruto called on the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh to ensure that the subsidised fertiliser is distributed equally to all parts of the country.
“I know there are a little bit of problems in regards to the supply of fertiliser, this problem I am going to sort out. The PS Agriculture, I give you one week, you and the Ministry of Agriculture to sort out the menace,” Ruto stated.
According to Ruto, the government had allocated enough funds to ensure the distribution of the subsidised fertiliser to farmers was a success.
The head of state noted that access to subsidised fertiliser would boost food production in the country and thus curb food insecurity.
While expressing similar concerns, Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot claimed that some Kericho Cereals and Produce Board officials would collaborate with private suppliers to sell unsubsidized fertilisers to unsuspecting farmers.
The legislator emphasised the need to take stern action against the Cereals Board officials who were the source of concern to the head of state.
"Please the head of state, as you go to Nairobi, make sure that the person perpetrating the act is also dismissed from his role. We do not want people who joke with the president's projects" Cheruiyot noted.
The directive comes a fortnight after the Kenya National Farmers Federation (KNFF) lamented numerous challenges facing farmers during the distribution process of the national government's subsidised fertiliser programme.
Some of the challenges reported by farmers included delayed fertilizers, limited access to National Cereal and Produce Board stores, lack of communication, and availability of only one type of fertilizer.
