Nyandarua MCAs are demanding answers over a subsidised artificial insemination program that they say has become a scam.
The program launched in March 2016 by Nyandarua Governor Daniel Waithaka was intended to reduce the high cost of AI services to small-scale dairy farmers. It was to improve breeds and yields by providing high-quality semen, both imported and local.
The county partnered with service providers, some of whom received motorbikes to be paid off.
Wanjohi MCA Isaac Kung’u said locals don’t understand how the programme runs and are not aware of service providers.
“I get a lot of questions from constituents. In my ward, only 786 cases have been registered for two years, yet there are over 5,000 head of dairy cattle,” he said.
Kung’u complained the statement showed a lot of stock carried forward, yet farmers complain of shortage. He said people are benefitting by “lying to farmers that subsidised semen is not available but they sell the same to farmers at Sh1,200 for local semen and Sh1,500 for imported semen. On top of this, they are paid Sh350 as commission by the government.?
The Livestock committee was asked for a comprehensive report to see if there was value for money.
The statement indicated 44 inseminators were contracted by the county to offer subsidised AI.
By June, the statement revealed that 20,985 inseminations had been registered in the 25 wards. Of these, es 16,305 inseminations were registered in 2016-17. Only 4,680 inseminations were registered in 2017-18.
The statement said use of imported subsidised semen selling for Sh1,000 per dose, represented only six per cent. But local semen selling for Sh700 represented 94 per cent.
In 2016-17, Sh3,903,500 was spent on local semen, while the report says 2,977,500 was spent on imported semen.
In 2017-18, Sh650,000 was spent on local semen while 904,000 was paid for liquid nitrogen. Inseminators were paid Sh1,638,000. Large stocks of imported semen were brought forward.
Kung’u said the drop from 16,305 inseminations registered in 2016-17 to 4,680 in 2017-18 — a drop of 72 per cent — is cause for alarm.
Gathara MCA Andrew Kamau, the committee chairman, said the programme was compromised.