Uasin Gishu farmers buy Sh5 million weighbridge

Farmers in Uasin Gishu County have decided to become masters of their own fate by buying their own weighing bridge at a cost of Sh5 million, an initiative aimed at avoiding losses incurred from cartels.

The farmers said that for a long time they have been using weigh bridges owned by private millers which accrued unnecessary costs, noting that the costs cut profits considering the poor prices set on a 90kg bag of maize by the Kenya Cereals Board.

They added that the new bridge which will be run by the farmers themselves is situated closer to their stores thus they can monitor it to tame the dishonest practice of manipulating measurements.

Led by Jane Kipkorir and David Kiprotich, the farmers claimed that they have suffered for a long time under unscrupulous businessmen who manipulate the weighbridge in order to swindle farmers.

They expressed optimism that the new bridge would help save time and money lost while queuing at Kenya Cereals Board branch in Eldoret, which they noted does not offer services on weekends.

The news comes barely a week after farmers in the county held a peaceful demonstration on the Iten-Eldoret road to protest the planned introduction of genetically modified maize.

The Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum National Secretary-General Justus Lavi Mwololo said the government should do more research on the crops before allowing Kenyan farmers to grow them.