President William Ruto’s government is in the spotlight over the ongoing sale of subsidized fertilizers to farmers across the country, after Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya disclosed on Thursday evening the fertilizers flagged by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for distribution are not for sale since Russian company Uralchem was giving them for free to African nations.
The CS went ahead to explain his absence at the flagging ceremony held at the Deputy President’s Harambee Annex building, telling Kenyans there was no mistake in him failing to be at the event.
”There is nothing wrong with me failing to attend today’s event. I am told that Rigathi Gachagua was flagging off subsidized fertilisers. That’s laughable because those fertilizers are not for sale, the Russian company, Uralchem was giving away free fertilisers to developing countries because they had accumulated in EU ports due to sanctions,” CS Munya said, revealing it was this sole reason that made President Ruto’s administration shift the subsidy from unga and fuel to fertilizer.
”That is why Ruto and Gachagua shifted subsidy to fertilisers and not unga and fuel. The fertilizers are free and to join them in lying to the public is an abomination. I can’t be part of a regime that seeks to oppress citizens, and nobody will force me to do it, I’m not a wheelbarrow to be pushed anywhere,” he added.
On Thursday, DP Gachagua flagged off the first consignment of the Sh3.55b subsidised fertiliser.
Two weeks ago Dmitry Konyaev, the chief executive of Uralchem, revealed they were sending the fertlizers to the continent citing its ongoing severe food shortage.
“The situation in the world today is really bad. Africa has been starving and will continue to starve, unfortunately. We, as a company, even decided to supply fertilizers to Africa for free, just because we are part of this global chain when you need to produce food,” Konyaev was quoted by RT on September 8th.
