Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku wants the State to adopt the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) model in the acquisition of fertiliser.
Giving a Notice of Motion, Ruku said G-to-G has been proven to be effective in the provision of services that have a direct impact on citizens’ livelihood, such as the supply of fertilisers.
“The Government-to-Government model has been noted to lower the cost of products,” Ruku stated.
He said the House should therefore resolve that the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and its agencies, adopts G-to-G in the acquisition of the farm input.
He said the government should identify potential partner countries that have surplus and quality fertiliser to enter into a G-to-G agreement with.
Ruku added that the government should develop a comprehensive programme for G-to-G acquisition and distribution of fertilisers through the Kenya Farmers Association (KFA), Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), Coffee Board of Kenya, Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (KPCU), the Kenya Grain Growers Co-operative Union and Pyrethrum Board of Kenya, among others.
The lawmaker said the quality and quantity of crop yields in Kenya have been hampered to a large extent by a lack of adequate and quality fertilisers leading to decreased agricultural productivity and economic losses.
He expressed concern that the cost, quantity and quality of fertilisers and subsequently the cost of production of food crops and cash crops including coffee, tea and miraa has decreased due to several factors, among them the high cost of fertilisers due to mark-up by private suppliers of the commodity.
“Kenya is an agricultural-based economy with a significant portion of its population relying on farming for their livelihood,” he stated.
The call by Ruku comes hot on the heels of an announcement by the government that it is planning to exit a G-to-Goil deal that was signed with two Gulf countries due to forex distortion.
The National Treasury cited the high risk facing private sector financiers of the facilities and its commitment to private market solutions in the energy market.
Kenya last year inked the G-to-G fuel deal with Saudi Arabia and the UAE to ease forex pressure due to dollar shortages.
The deal marked a switch from an open tender system in which local companies bid to import oil each month.
It was initially for 9 months but was extended for another 12 months to December 2024, after which date it will now be withdrawn.
