Taxpayers could have lost Ksh.16.5 million in Embu seed subsidy program

Taxpayers could have lost Ksh.16.5 million in Embu seed subsidy program

Taxpayers could have lost Ksh.16.5 Million in an Embu County seed subsidy scam, a 2014/2015 report by the County Assembly committee on Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives shows.

According to the report, the County had set aside money in the 2014/2015 budget for s dusbsidy scheme targeting over 10,000 farmers in Embu. The cash, the report explains, was meant for the purchase of Certified Seeds, breeding Stock and live animals.

MCAs from the region have, however, raised questions about the use of these funds, with a section claiming that the seeds did not reach farmers – this despite the fact that Governor Martin Wambora had kicked off the subsidy program in a colourful ceremony on 5 October 2015.

Kagaari South MCA Robert Ireri refuted a report tabled by agriculture committee chair Salesio Kimaru indicating that 36, 369kgs of seed were distributed in Mbeere North and Mbeere South in 2015, saying the Agriculture committee intentionally failed in its oversight role.

He claimed that County Agriculture officials teamed up with unscrupulous businessmen to pay youth to scramble for the free seed, adding that this seed was later sold at a profit within the county.

The MCA further faulted the roll out of the exercise, saying that the administrators should have given vulnerable groups priority.

Ireri said that the lax in the management of the subsidy program led to the loss of millions of taxpayer money.

The report called for the prosecution former CEC Member for Agriculture Dr Patricio Njiru, saying that he should be held accountable for what happened during his tenure as County Agricultural Minister.

Dr Njiru is currently vying for the Mbeere North parliamentary seat under the Maendeleo Chap Chap party

Tags:

corruption embu fertilizer and seeds Embu county assembly Embu County Governor Martin Wambora Seeds supply

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