Allies of Deputy President William Ruto found themselves on the receiving end as North Rift Maize farmers questioned the leaders over the Ksh1.9 Billion scandal at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
During the meeting attended by North Rift leaders at the Teachers Advisory Centre in Eldoret, the leaders among them Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi were accused of abandoning the farmers' interests.
One farmer James Chemjor vented out: "We are tired of demonstrating. We elected you to agitate for our rights. Why have you abandoned us?”
“We are not even interested in 2022. What we want is our money. Eat the way you want in Parliament but give us our right as farmers,” Immaculate Kandie who is a farmer from Moiben stated.
[caption caption="Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi"]
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The atmosphere in the meeting was tense as the farmers took turns expressing their frustration over the failure by the NCPB to purchase their maize. All this while the leaders sat quietly waiting for their turn to defend themselves.
Sudi took the opportunity to distance himself from the scandal, a move that agitated the farmers as they booed him when he suggested that investigations be left to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“This issue should not be politicised. I’ve never engaged in maize business. In fact, I don’t know who the NCPB manager in Eldoret is,” the Kapseret MP defended himself.
Mosop MP Vincent Tuwei admitted that MPs had failed the farmers focussing more on politics.
“We fight each other as leaders instead of fighting for farmers’ welfare. This is not good for 2022 politics,” he stated.
On his part, Governor Mandago stated that the list of unscrupulous traders be made public: “The proper list of all those who imported maize should be made public. I was surprised that even the NCPB depot in Nairobi is full.
Here is the video courtesy of KTNNews:
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