Tag: Senate committee

  • Fake Fertilizer: Senate Committee wants farmers compensated

    Fake Fertilizer: Senate Committee wants farmers compensated

    The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and the Blue Economy wants the government to compensate farmers who bought fake fertilizers immediately to enable them to replant.

    They said the farmers risk going without a crop this season since no one knows when the current rains will stop.

    They also said the government should take severe action on those who supplied the fake input and that their enablers in government should take responsibility and leave.

    The committee members who included Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi, Bungoma Senator Francis Wafula Wakoli, Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatangi together with their Chairman, Kirinyaga Senator, Kamau Murango, said supplying fake farm inputs was equal to economic sabotage or terrorism and that perpetrators should be treated as such.

    The four spoke at the Embu Talent Academy where they met a section of affected farmers from Embu and Kirinyaga counties as they make enquiries into the fake fertilizer saga.

    A foul smell of strange chemicals combined with animal manure and urine pervaded the air when the farmers opened parcels of the fake fertilizer they had brought as evidence.

    Some 2320 bags of the suspect fake fertilizer had been sold at the Embu National Cereals and Produce Board Store, all of the labeled KEL Green NPK 10.26.20.

    All the farmers displayed scattered fertilizer grains mixed with animal waste and sand.

    Phineas Nyaga, an official of the North Ngariama Coffee Growers Cooperative said his society was to buy some 4200 bags for their members last year but were supplied with only 3020 bags.

    He said when he went to collect the remaining 1,180 bags in January they collected a sample of four bags which they submitted to the National Agricultural Research labs for analysis.

    When the results came it was found to have 7 per cent nitrogen, 3.6 percent phosphorous and 7.26 potassium instead of the 10 per cent Nitrogen, 29 percent phosphorous and 10 percent potassium declared on the bag.

    Most of the farmers who used the fake fertilizer to plant reported that they are unimpressed by the way their crops have germinated and are growing.

  • Siaya Deputy Governor denies all charges leveled against him

    Siaya Deputy Governor denies all charges leveled against him

    Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol has denied all charges leveled against him which includes abuse of office, gross misconduct and violation of the Constitution.

    This following the impeachment of Oduol earlier this month by all the 42 MCAs who voted to send Oduol home on recommendations of a 14 member ad-hoc committee formed to probe the matter.

    The Ward representatives accuse Oduol of among others gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, gross misconduct, and misleading the public by giving false information.

    If his impeachment is upheld he will be the first Deputy Governor to be removed from office, since the inception of devolution.

    On Wednesday Oduol appeared before Senate Special Committee chaired by Senator William Kisang` with Senator Betty Batuli Montet serving as the Vice Chair on his impeachment for hearings.

    According to the programme, the Wednesday hearing entailed conference of parties, introduction of Members of the Special Committee, introduction of Members representing the County Assembly of Siaya and the Counsel then introduction of the Deputy Governor and the Counsel representing him.

    Governor Orengo and his Deputy, William Oduol have been at logger heads for past three months, with the deputy governor accusing his boss of sitting quiet as a syndicate of corrupt employees fleece the county government.

    Oduol’s public accusations saw the county assembly of Siaya summon him to table evidence of the same, which he did but the assembly later threw them out as unsubstantiated.

    Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol claims that Siaya lost billions of public coffers since the new administration took office.

    County Assembly claims Oduol sought to purchase office furniture worth 18 million for personal comfort once he assumed office.