A food rights organisation has called on the government to rescind a maize farming ban in three locations of Eastern Mau Forest area of Njoro sub-county, Nakuru.
Route to Food Alliance termed the ban counterproductive, potentially catastrophic and ill-timed while at the same time claiming that it was an infringement of smallholders’ right to food.
The organisation, which comprises of more than 1,000 members who use their personal or professional platforms to champion for the Right to Food in Kenya, said the step would aggravate hunger and malnutrition in Ndosua, Nessuit and Mariashoni locations.
A member, Vincent Kigen said the ban notice issued by Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mbui on February 9 and distributed by chiefs was ill-timed because farmers did not have adequate time to re-adjust to the directive and re-organise themselves to plant different crops.
“The timing of the ban is very wrong because land preparation in the affected areas starts in December through to February and the planting season in the region is in March, meaning there will be huge losses for farmers,” he said.
The government banned maize farming in the three volatile locations on security grounds saying that the tall plantations become hiding places for armed raiders during ethnic fighting.
It has become a trend over the past decades that Njoro experiences ethnic conflicts whenever the maize plantation is large.
However, Route to Food Alliance said maize is a very important crop to the affected farmers for food security and income.
He noted that maize was a staple food in most Kenyan households and one of the most affordable sources of calories.
He added that maize also provides farmers with an income to meet other needs such as paying school fees, medical expenses and purchasing other food items.
“Timing of the notice did not allow farmers a chance to participate in decision- making or transition into an alternative plan,” said Kigen.
He added that the alternative plan should have been jointly developed and supported through government extension services.
Kigen observed that Kenya had the obligation to respect, promote, protect and to take appropriate steps to progressively achieve the full realisation of the right to adequate food.
“Under the relevant international instruments to the progressive realisation of the right to food and as a State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) Kenya must ensure the right to food is given,” he said.
He claimed that the ban not only negated the government’s constitutional and civic duty to achieve the right to food for all Kenyans as required under the Constitution but also denied the affected residents their right to food.
“While we appreciate the security challenges in the area, we believe that there was no justification for the ban, the government should have sought less extreme measures such as collaborating with the community to improve security,” he said.
Kigen said the ban put the livelihoods and food security of the affected community at stake.
