• Ruto said the country with a population of over 1.4 billion has a huge market for agricultural produce that can be tapped.
• He said expanding the market for agricultural produce will help the Kenya Kwanza government balance trade between the two countries.
Deputy President William Ruto has pledged to approach the Chinese government to open up the market for local produce, if elected president.
He said he will appoint five ambassadors to the Asian country to seek market for local produce.
The country, which has a population of 1.4 billion, has a huge market for agricultural produce that can be tapped for farmers' benefit, Ruto said.
He said expanding the market for agricultural produce will help the Kenya Kwanza government balance trade between the two countries, while helping the Kenyan government to repay the debts owed to the Chinese government.
Ruto spoke at Gakoigo stadium in Murang'a county, where he addressed thousands of his supporters during the County Economic Forum.
Farmers have urged the incoming government to expand the market for tea, coffee and avocados.
Samuel Muchunu, a tea farmer, said the county is one of the main tea producers, with 10 tea factories.
Tea, he said, rakes in more money for residents than any other crop, but it faces the challenge of limited markets.
Muchunu said factories in the area have made attempts to add value to the cash crop and have been selling an average of 150 million kilogrammes of green tea, but noted that more government support is needed to help with more value addition and packaging.
He said 42 taxes have been imposed on the crop, which eats into farmers' returns.
Gerald Mwangi, a coffee farmer, said they need help to modernise coffee factories that were built during the colonial period.
"The poor prices that we have been getting in the past have discouraged our youth from engaging in farming. If we revitalise this sector, it will also reduce the rate of alcoholism in the county," he said.
Each coffee bush currently produces 1kg but with proper crop husbandry, it can produce between 10 and 15 kilos.
Mwangi urged the next government to subsidise farm inputs and rejuvenate the county coffee farmers' union.
The farmers also highlighted the need for the government to support avocado value addition to help them earn more money.
More than 96,000 homesteads in the county have avocado trees, with only five per cent of them going towards cosmetic use.
The county has two avocado processing plants owned by individuals. Farmers have proposed that more such facilities be established to help reduce wastage during harvesting.
Samuel Kamau said bananas can provide numerous employment opportunities if they are value-added.
He proposed the establishment of a banana exchange market that will expose local farmers to traders from other parts of the country. He said bananas from the area are distinct because of their sweetness.
“We can make flour, wine and jam out of the fruit and use its stalks to make fibre for making ciondos,” he said.
Christine Wambui, a mama mboga, lamented the high cost of living, saying it has made it impossible to afford basic items.
Wambui said she earns about Sh5,000 daily from her business, which is not enough to feed and educate her children. She said the next government should look for ways to bring down the costs of living.
Ruto pledged to have markets equipped with the necessary sanitary facilities established in all shopping centres in partnership with county governments.
He also promised to establish a Sh50 billion kitty that will offer low interest credit to small traders to help them expand their businesses.
His administration will also lower the cost of fertiliser from the current Sh6,000 to about Sh2,500 per bag, the DP said.
“We will work with tea factories to value-add to our tea and package it. I agree it is not strategic to sell all our tea in bulk in the auction. Part of our plan is to buy existing brands and make them Kenyan while leveraging the good prices they get in the international market,” he said.
Ruto said Kenya Kwanza government will also establish 10,000 low-cost housing in Murang’a county, providing jobs to more than 80,000 youths.
“We have commitments amounting to Sh4 trillion for low-cost housing projects and all we will require from the county government is to provide land where they will be built,” he added.
Ruto was accompanied by his running mate Rigathi Gachagua, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and a host of Kenya Kwanza MPs.
Edited by A.N