Farmers in Bomet County are counting loses after unscrupulous middlemen tampered with their weights and measures machines to defraud them while selling their produce.
Bomet deputy governor Mr. Shadrack Rotich has appealed to the national government to train weights and measures officers at the county level to police the traders who defraud dairy and tea farmers of a lot of money through the use of weights and measures machines that they have tampered with.
“I appeal to the national government through the ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Co-operatives to come to the rescue of farmers who lose a lot of their incomes to unscrupulous traders who use fake machines to defraud farmers,” Mr. Rotich said.
During a random check by the national and county weights and measures officials it was found that farmers lose between one to twenty kilos every day from dairy products, tea and potatoes.
Rotich said that the cartels were making it impossible for the government to achieve the Big Four Agenda since farmers who are the core providers of the products are discouraged.
“The County government is ready to facilitate training for the weights and measures officers in a bid to protect farmers from losing their earnings to conmen,” he said.
The deputy governor was addressing artisans who applied to supply desks to selected schools in Bomet County in the national government’s stimulus covid-19 project for schools in the country.
“We have set aside Sh20 million for the county enterprise funds in the year 2020/2021 and you will apply to enable you to supply the desks,” he stated.
The Chairman, Bomet Jua Kali Association Mr. Geoffrey Kirui appealed to the national government to be more flexible with the loans conditions to enable more youths to qualify for the programme.
Mr. Kirui said that despite the government providing strict guidelines for the youths to benefit from the project it was almost impossible for a village artisan who has been earning hand to mouth to have a bank account.
By Joseph Obwocha
