Is Deputy President William Ruto plotting to bring in Maize from Democratic Republic of Congo? Well, maize scandals in Kenya remains a big task for the government to fight as probe into the current scandal goes on.
However, during the probe, it emerged that the maize that was imported from Mexico two years down the line was still in stores. Do you think that is enough? Three Rift Valley legislators have triggered a political storm after publicly claiming Deputy President William Ruto has a 500,000-acre farm in the Republic of Congo.
In a scathing attack on the DP, the rebel Jubilee lawmakers claimed Ruto was positioning himself to be the principal maize supplier to the scandal-ridden National Cereals and Produce Board by discouraging the region from maize farming.
MPs Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Alfred Keter (Nandi Hill) and Silas Tiren (Moiben) claimed Ruto has been encouraging farmers to substitute maize farming with avocado and macadamia. Really? Is it because Kenya signed a deal with China to export Avocado?
“You can’t be telling us to plant avocados, plant macadamia but you are not telling us what happened to maize…Now you have gone even to Congo. You are growing 500,000 acres of maize,” said Keter without producing any evidence to back his claims.
In an interview with The Star, a local daily on Sunday, Kutuny asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to come clean on the deals he claimed Ruto had signed with the Joseph Kabila government.
The DP travelled to Brazzaville in September this year with a large delegation and held talks with the country’s top leaders.
A statement posted on his official website said Ruto was in Congo for an official visit and was received at the Maya International Airport by Prime Minister Clement Mouamba.
The tour, the statement said, was aimed at promoting cooperation between the two countries in various fields of interest. The two countries agreed to cooperate in political consultations, economics, trade and investment, agriculture, science and technology, culture and arts.
Among those who accompanied the Deputy President were Mining and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes, governors Kahiga Mutahi (Nyeri) and Granton Samboja (Taita Taveta) and Trade Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo.
Yesterday Kutuny said it was during this tour that Ruto sealed his maize deal.
“Part of his mission to Congo recently was to sign the deal to start maize farming there. He wants local farmers to do avocado to occasion a maize shortage in the country so that his maize from Brazzaville can get its way to the local market,” he stated.
Rift Valley is the country’s breadbasket but poor pricing and infiltration by cartels threaten the region’s economic mainstay, leaving many farmers languishing in poverty.
The legislators asked the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji to crack the whip on the country’s second in command and influential officers at Harambee House Annex.
“We want the DPP to investigate him [Ruto] over maize. Every time the government releases money to NCPB to pay farmers, he calls all managers and instructs them who to pay and who not to pay,” Keter said.
The maize scandal has had many casualties including Agriculture Principal Secretary Richard Lesiyampe and top NCPB officials who have been charged for fraud in the payment of traders instead of genuine farmers.
Do you think these allegations on DP Ruto are politicised accusations or true?