Uproar ensued on Thursday, August 15 following media reports that ndengu farmers would require licenses from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) in the event the proposed Mung Beans Bill 2022 becomes law.
Kitui County Senator Enoch Kiio Wambua has clarified a new bill currently before the Senate which proposed to impose a Ksh1 million fine for unlicensed large-scale farmers of mung beans, locally known as ndengu.
Uproar ensued on Thursday, August 15 following media reports that ndengu farmers would require licenses from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) in the event the proposed Mung Beans Bill 2022 becomes law.
The Bill had sought to promote the growth and development of the mung bean industry and proposed that every grower shall register with the relevant county executive committee (CEC) member in charge of agriculture, with each CEC member required to maintain a register of all mung bean growers in their respective counties.
The register shall include details of the name of the grower, the location, size, and parcel number of the land on which the mung bean is grown, as well as the variety of mung bean grown.
Kitui County Senator Enoch Wambua. /COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF KITUI
However, buyers of mung beans will not be allowed to market, process, or engage in extensive trade of the produce or its byproducts without first obtaining a license from the county government.
“A person shall not market, process or carry out large-scale trading in mung beans or mung bean products unless the person has obtained a licence from the relevant county government. A person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both,” it noted, this clause of the Bill that the Senator sought to address.
According to him, misleading information circulated regarding the proposed Bill, with Senator Wambua citing incorrect reports that Kenyans in general will need to obtain a license to grow mung beans if the Bill is passed.
“This is a misrepresentation of the Bill’s intentions and provisions. The Mung Beans Bill, 2022, was officially published on December 30, 2022, and was read for the First Time in the Senate on February 15, 2023.
“Contrary to some reports, the Bill is no longer in the Senate; it was passed in the Senate and referred to the National Assembly on February 21, 2024. The Bill aims to provide a framework for the regulation and promotion of the mung bean industry in Kenya,” he addressed in part.
Key Clarifications
Licensing & Registration
Registration: Senator Wambua outlined that the Bill requires small and medium-sized mung bean farmers to register with the relevant County Executive Committee (CEC) member, which is a common practice already in place for other crops such as tea and coffee.
The primary purpose of this registration, as outlined in Clause 8 (2) of the Bill, is to allow the government to:
- Maintain a register of all mung bean growers;
- Record the location, size, and variety of mung beans grown; and
- Assess the potential crop capacity within counties and the country.
Licensing: Licensing is specifically required only for persons or entities that intend to market, process, or engage in large-scale trading of mung beans and related products, a matter the legislator clarified is clearly provided for in Clause 9 (1) of the Bill.
Purpose of Registration
As Senator Wambua explained, the registration of small and medium-sized mung bean growers is intended to help the government better understand and promote the development of the mung bean industry.
This data is crucial for strategising how to make Kenya’s mung bean industry competitive on an international level.
The Bill seeks to facilitate and develop a framework that will regulate and promote the mung bean industry in Kenya, ensuring that it thrives both locally and internationally.
Wambua noted that the registration process is a step towards achieving these goals, disputing claims of it being a punitive measure against farmers.
“I urge the public and the press to refer to the actual text of the Mung Beans Bill, 2022, to avoid spreading misinformation.
“The Bill does not impose a license requirement for growing mung beans; it only requires registration for small and medium-sized farmers, similar to other regulated crops. The licensing provisions are solely for commercial activities such as processing and large-scale trading,” he added.
Mung beans or green grams are plant species in the legume family. The mung bean is mainly cultivated in East, Southeast and South Asia and is used as an ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes.
