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”It is DP Ruto’s man Agric CS Bett behind Artificial Maize Shortage”- Meru MP Hon Mbiuki Warns

”It is DP Ruto’s man Agric CS Bett behind Artificial Maize Shortage”- Meru MP Hon Mbiuki Warns

May 13, 2017 Leave a Comment

National Assembly Agriculture committee has given President Uhuru Kenyatta until Tuesday to sack CS Willy Bett for mismanaging his docket.

The committee said there will be mass action if the cabinet secretary is not sacked or steps down voluntarily.

The legislators alleged that the CS was overseeing another “maize scandal in the making”.

Vice chairman Kareke Mbiuki accused Bett of colluding with dealers to create an artificial shortage of maize, sugar and milk.

Prices of the three commodities have skyrocketted and the committee suspects the proceeds might have been shared by top government officials.

He said when Bett appeared before them in February, he said the country’s strategic food reserve had two million 90-kg bags of maize that would have lasted for eight months.

The Maara MP wondered why the state was importing maize all over sudden.

He and other committee members spoke on Friday at Whitesands Hotel, Mombasa.

“The CS misled the house and the entire nation that we had sufficient food stocks,” he said.

“If indeed there were enough reserves, the CS should account for the two million bags, if not, he should also take responsibility for lying.”

Mbiuki was accompanied by MPs Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja), Mary Wambui (Othaya), Florence Mutua (Busia MP) and Fred Outa (Nyando).

The committee wants to know if procurement laws were followed in the importation of the 30,000 metric tonnes of maize which docked in Mombasa on Thursday.

They also want to know how much the private players used to import the consignment and the amount the government will spend to buy the same.

President Uhuru Kenyatta asked MPs to pass supplementary budget to help mitigate shortage.

“The government bought the entire shipment. How much will she use for purchase? Was the law followed?” he asked.

The MP said maize issue has been motive and brought down regimes.

Wandayi asked: “At what stage did the process of importing maize start?”

“We were just ambushed by today’s delivery. Was the importer working in cohorts with people in government?” he asked.

He said the fact that a state official was involved in the offloading of the consignments meant that the government was working with cartels.

“If the maize was being imported by a private player, why has government received it?” he asked.

Earlier, the government denied claims it is colluding with cartels to hoard maize, sugar and milk to raise funds for campaigns.

Bett said the food shortage in the country is purely a natural phenomenon

The Opposition says the shortage of basic commodities is artificial and engineered by leaders in the Jubilee Party.

They said the measures taken to reduce the prices of the essentials are for attracting votes ahead of the August 8 polls.

Most Kenyans too have questioned the timing of the purchase of maize from Mexico which arrived into the country on Friday.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto

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