• Mandera's Mohamed Mahamud lamented that instead of the transfer, the government should have funded the commission.
• Garissa's Haji says it is in order since all livestock will be slaughtered at the Dagoretti Slaughterhouse instead of KMC, citing possible better prices.
Image: JACK OWUOR
Senators have slammed President Uhuru Kenyatta over the transfer of the cash-strapped Kenya Meat Commission to the Ministry of Defence from the Agriculture docket.
The lawmakers said the ‘dangerous trend’ by the Head of State to militarise public institutions was worrying and called on a House committee to investigate the takeover.
Last week, Agriculture CS Peter Munya directed the transfer saying the President had ordered so.
“You are directed to facilitate a seamless transfer of KMC to the Ministry of Defence,” CS Munya said in a memo dated September 7.
The memo was sent to the PS, State Department of Livestock and copied to KMC managing commissioner James Ole Seriani.
Munya further directed the PS to ensure coordination of the entire exercise with the National Treasury and transfer the associated budgets to the next scheduled Supplementary Budget.
However, senators have said the President’s use of Executive Orders and Gazettement have become the order of the day in a series of moves that purportedly indicate his trust and hope in the military in managing sections of the civil service.
“It is quite unfortunate that we are taking such a great parastatal that has been assisting our farmers to the Defence Forces without any legal framework.”
“The military does not have the talent and management skills that can replace going out to look for better managers,” Nominated Senator Alice Milgo said.
The lawmakers want full disclosure to be made on the decisions that informed the transfer, saying serious consultation backed up by a legal framework ought to have been done.
“I know that we have been having a lot of challenges as far as management of KMC is concerned, but for the pastoralists, especially those who rely on the KMC, it is important,” Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo said.
“This is because when people see KDF, most of our people, including most Kenyans, get scared because they do not know what is involved. Some of us who live in the counties where KDF are claiming land know these.”
Mandera's Mohamed Mahamud lamented that instead of the transfer, the government should have funded the commission.
“I do not understand how a parastatal gets transferred to our military. The idea of militarising our institutions should stop. There must be proper public participation,” Mahamud said.
The debate has gone on for many years, the senator said, for instance, when the Narc came to power in 2003, they opened and funded the commission.
“However, they did not allocate funds to it. It should have been privatised so the private sector can run it properly," he said.
“It is now going to be a military institution. I do not know how farmers will deliver their animals there because it will be a guarded area. I think a proper procedure must be followed so that Kenyans understand how this transfer is done and how it will function.”
Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina said Attorney-General Kihara Kariuki should have advised Uhuru to go to Parliament and discuss how to set up an Act that can transfer a devolved function.
But in support of the transfer, Garissa's Yusuf Haji said in spite of the method used to conduct the transfer, it was in order to save the country since all livestock will be slaughtered at the Dagoretti Slaughterhouse instead of KMC, citing possible better prices.
“Major General Mohammed Badi has proven his ability in Nairobi, which is cleaner and safer than it was because of the discipline of the military officer," he said.
Edited by R.Wamochie