PM orders ministry to buy surplus maize in Transmara

Written By:PMPS,    Posted: Sun, Sep 11, 2011

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has directed the Ministry for Special Programme to buy the surplus produce the farmers in Transmara district harvested last season for emergency response before they went bad. He ordered the Ministry to purchase the maize and beans from the villagers for supply to hunger victims in drought ravaged parts of the country to bridge the food deficit in the grain reserves. The premier also asked the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to expand local grain storage depots to cope with the perennial bumper harvest the region realized in successive seasons. "I want the board to put up more dryers and also establish mobile depots where farmers can access certified seeds and fertilizers in time for planting" he said. Odinga issued the directive at a rally in Kilgoris following public outcry to the effect that part of the bumper harvest realized was rotting  in villages due to lack of marketing out lets and adequate storage facilities in local silos. The premier also announced that that the government was determined to upgrade the road infrastructure in the agricultural rich Narok County to ensure smooth flow of farm produce to market places. He said plans to tarmac the Mulot- Kilgoris road was finalized to minimize transport hitches and costs adding that funds were being sought to  tarmac the  road from Ngorengore through Lolongorain towards Kehancha and,Kilgoris towns. "We want to improve the road network to facilitate economic growth in the area and that is why we want to also tarmac and link Sotik through Gorgor to Kilgoris towns to tap the rich resources in the larger  Narok County ." he said. Odinga at the same time assured the communities in Narok County that the new constitution will protect their right to own their ancestral land unlike the old one which was governed by the central government. He said the devolution aspect of the new laws had entrusted all the communal land within the republic under the custody of the proposed county government contrary and expressed optimism that things may soon fall in their rightful places. The PM was reacting to concerns raised during a leaders meeting  prior to the well attended rally  to the effect that some individuals had privatized and partly sold community ranches without the consent of the stakeholders. The Premier later attended another rally at Lolongarian town where leaders echoed similar sentiments amid fears that some selfish individuals were illegally allocating themselves the community ranches at the expense of the common people. Leaders who accompanied the premier during the two days tour of the area were cabinet Minister William Ntimama,James Orengo, Racheal Shebesh, Dr.James Gesami, and Narok  South Member of Parliament Ngoitila Ole Langas.