- Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria announced plans by the government to allow duty-free import of maize for six months
- However, the plan has been opposed by Nandi senator Samson Cherargei who said the move is ill-timed
- According to Cherargei, the move will disadvantage Rift Valley farmers, who he said are currently harvesting their maize
Nandi senator Samson Cherargei has continued to voice his objection against the government’s move to allow the importation of duty-free maize.
In a tweet, the senator said the timing was wrong as most Rift Valley farmers were currently harvesting maize.
He said the farmers would be disadvantaged if the importation of maize were allowed to go on.
“The importation of duty-free maize is unfair to us maize farmers because of its wrong timing. In the Rift Valley, we are currently harvesting maize, which shall lower the prices of maize,” he said on Monday, November 21.
The outspoken senator vowed to mobilise MPs from maize-growing areas to deliberate on the way forward,
“We shall tomorrow meet MPs of maize growing areas to develop a sustainable solution on the matter,” he said.
Nandi senator opposes GMO importation
Recently the Nandi senator criticised the plan by Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria to open a window for importing GMOs maize.
According to the outspoken senator, the move by the Trade CS would subject farmers to untold losses as they would be forced to sell their produce at a lower price.
He called on the government to stop the plan until all maize from farmers had been bought to cushion farmers against any loss.
“CS Moses Kuria at his usual element but our Rift Valley farmers are currently harvesting maize, the importation of maize should stop until government has mopped up all this year’s crop and avoid lowering prices that don’t match the inputs incurred by maize farmers!” Cherargei said in a tweet on Friday, November 18.
Gov’t to allow duty-free import of GMO maize
Sentiments by Cherargei follow an announcement by Kuria that there are plans to allow duty-free imports of GMO and non-GMO maize.
In a statement on Twitter on Thursday, November 17, the CS said the government had come up with the directive to help remedy the food situation in the country.
He explained that the maize would be allowed into the country until May 2023, a period of six months.
