Hours after the Leader of Minority in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi claimed that President William Ruto’s subsidized fertilizers are not yet available in Raila Odinga’s Siaya and Homa Bay backyard, Ruto’s government has responded.
This was after Opiyo raised serious concerns over what he has termed a “skewed distribution” of subsidized fertilizers in the country, claiming farmers from the two counties had been sidelined.
However while responding to the claims, the Director of Public Communications in State House Gerald Bitok shamed Opiyo, terming his remarks as untrue and misleading.
According to Bitok, Opiyo has been so much into Azimio politics and has not been spending time with his constituents. To proof the government’s commitment to distribute fertilizers to all regions in the country, Bitok shared a distribution table showing how Nyanza region counties had been served with the fertilizers.
In the table, farmers from Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori and Siaya counties have been prioritized for fertilizers as the regions receive short September and October rains.
Bitok challenged Opiyo to consider visiting NCPB depots in his region to access the fertilizers which he said are going for Ksh2,500 down from Ksh3,500.
In his statement, Wandayi had claimed that the Nyanza region is being disproportionately denied access to subsidized fertilizers, just as farmers gear up for the upcoming short rains season.
According to Wandayi, farmers in Siaya and Homa Bay counties, along with several other areas, are growing increasingly concerned that the National Government is deliberately withholding affordable fertilizers from their reach.
In a stern statement, he called on the authorities responsible for overseeing the allocation of fertilizers and seeds to refrain from what he referred to as “unwarranted discrimination” against Nyanza farmers.
“We call on people who oversee the distribution of fertiliser and seeds to Nyanza farmers to desist from this unwarranted discrimination,” Wandayi stated unequivocally.
Highlighting the agricultural potential of the Nyanza region, Wandayi emphasized that the area is not seeking sympathy or relief food, but rather equitable access to essential agricultural inputs.
He argued that Nyanza, like any other region, deserves to receive fertilizers, seeds, tractors, and other agricultural resources to foster sustainable growth in its farming sector.
“Nyanza needs fertilisers, seeds, tractors, and other agricultural inputs that other regions are getting,” Wandayi added.
In his statement, Wandayi further lauded the resilience of the hard-working people of Nyanza who have managed to thrive in various sectors despite facing significant challenges. He alluded to the region’s determination to overcome adversities, often with limited support from the State.
The National Government’s relief food distribution efforts in the Nyanza region also came under scrutiny in Wandayi’s address. He expressed skepticism over the intentions behind the highly publicized relief food events, suggesting that they might be politically motivated and yield minimal impact for the region’s farmers
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