Interior and Coordination of National Government Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has insisted that the proposed tea and coffee reforms must be implemented to save farmers from the agony of perennial economic losses.
Speaking yesterday in Nyaikuro of Nyamira County where he led senior government officials and Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) faithful in a fundraiser to aid in construction of the Nyamira West Conference headquarters, Dr Matiang’i said that it was time for the tea and coffee farmers to realise the value of their sweat in the farms.
“As a government, we said the trend of rogue directors fleecing vulnerable tea and coffee farmers in these two farming industries will be a thing of the past for we can’t sit and watch few individuals frustrate tea farmers forever. The reforms will have to be implemented as legislated and whoever is writing petitions to court to block them is wasting his time because the reforms must come to full fruition as has been directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta,” the CS stated.
“These individuals go sit in boardrooms, decide on what to pay the farmers after the sales of the products, and pocket the lion share leaving the peasant tea grower in abject poverty for a long period now, a state that must be put to an end courtesy of the reforms in these two sectors.” added Matiang’i.
Dr Matiang’i, who was accompanied by his Agriculture counterpart Peter Munya, Transport Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Chris Obure and East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) M.P Mpuri Aburi, further drummed up support for the Constitution of Kenya amendment Bill 2020 popularly known as BBI saying that it carried goodies to benefit the common citizens and bring services closer to the people.
He backed the ongoing constitution reforms saying if citizens pass the BBI report, Kitutu Masaba Constituency in Nyamira County has been earmarked to be subdivided into two and there is going to be increased funding in the area which will in turn bring development for our people in this area.
“Let’s work together and support the amendment and move the country together, let’s stop cheap politics and focus on developing Kenya together;” appealed Dr Matiang’í.
by Deborah Bochere/Dan Nyamanga
