President William Ruto has assured members of a Meru cooperative that he will ensure Sh71 million debt owed to a county in the region is fully repaid.
Speaking in Meru during the 8th annual dairy farmers’ field day, Ruto promised to ensure the money is recovered even as he assured of radical changes to streamline the Cooperatives and Saccos across the country.
“Mnipatie wiki mbili niende nitafute hiyo pesa nilete, huyo gavana nitaenda kubambana na yeye kwa sababu hawezi kuhama na pesa na ya wakulima,” Ruto said on Saturday.
Ruto even amused the gathering when he said he is the debt collector and so he might even be forced to deduct the money from allocation going to that particular county before releasing the rest to it.
“Huyo gavana akijaribu kuniletea Kiswahili Kiswahili mimi nitakata pesa yake kabla haijatumwa nilete Meru na ile imebaki nimpatie. Hakuna dawa ingine ya deni, si ni kulipa? Na nitamwambia nimetumwa na wale watu wameniandika na asinihairibie kazi,” he said amidst laughter.
Ruto who was accompanied by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua and Cabinet Secretaries Mithika Linturi (Agriculture) and Simon Chelugui (Cooperatives) among other elected leaders noted that his administration will no longer allow farmers’ money to get lost due to mismanagement of the Saccos.
“We have a comprehensive plan to ensure to ensure all our farmers get the desired benefits...we want all Saccos and Cooperatives to be properly managed to eliminate cartels and brokers,” he said.
Gachagua said the President intervened to save the differences between Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza and MCAs.
"He sent me to resolve the debacle between MCAs and Meru governor because he loves unity,” he said in a sentiment echoed by the governor who thanked the President for his role in the truce.
