The stunning revelation by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei that cartels are back in business, this time around ruthless and aggressive, is cause to worry.
Cherargei’s statement on Tuesday came on the backdrop of the directive by Trade and Industry CS Moses Kuria that the country will import GMO maize.
Within days of the directive and before gazette notice, it was reported that 10,000 tonnes of GMOs had docked in the port of Mombasa.
Kuria has not once or twice given controversial directions on national issues. What is puzzling is President William Ruto’s loud silence. The President has not come out to either correct or reprimand Kuria. Therefore, there are all reasons to believe that Kuria speaks on behalf of a higher earthly authority or the cartels insinuated by Cherargei.
Kenyan maize history never fades away.
In January, 2009 a suspected maize scandal became public. A ban on maize importation had been lifted by the government to allow business people import maize to add to the available supply.
President Ruto, then Agriculture Minister, was accused of the scandal by then Ikolomani MP and now Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale.
Khalwale was at the time the Public Accounts Committee chairman.
The allegations were that there were some briefcase millers existing only on paper, some maize imports were unfit for human consumption and that some millers redirected bags of maize out of the country and later importing them.
Ruto said the allegations were false meant to tarnish his name.
The statement by Cherargei calls for the government to give Kenyans a satisfactory response. Cartels are dangerous grouping that is self-centred. They are a collection of independent business or organisations that collude to manipulate the price of a product or service.
There are several forms of cartel activities — price fixing, sharing markets, rigging bids and controlling output. With the 10,000 metric tonnes of maize importation, the Kenyan cartels fall in controlling and price fixing output.
Most of Kenyan agricultural sectors such as sugar and coffee were killed by such cartels.
And why the hurry of maize importation, yet farmers have maize to sell? It beats the very essence of the Kenya Kwanza government drive to empower farmers by giving fertiliser subsidy to increase production and not buy their maize.
It seems these cartels are so powerful that the government is so blinded not to care about the farmers.
Kenyan politicians’ memories fade so fast. In 2018, when he was Deputy President , Ruto was quoted in the media encouraging maize farmers in the Rift Valley and Western regions to diversify farming by planting French beans, avocados and macadamia nuts, among many other crops, because maize farming was not profitable. Fast forward to 2022, Kenya is importing maize.
Kuria has trivialised the GMOs maize importation that it can be one of the many causes of death in Kenya. It’s true death is inevitable, but it makes no sense to create an environment conducive for death.
GMO food imports need proper legislation and policies that will give Kenyans an assurance that their health is safe.
With Kenyan coffee sector staggering and tea industry under threat because of the war of words between some governors and some multinational tea companies and effects of drought, Kenya is facing a threat of poor food production and self-sustainability.
The Kenya Kwanza government might be slowly turning into cartel-captured government. In a short span, the script seems to be changing fast and there is no harm to say exit Jubilee dynasty and enters Kenya kwanza cartels in Kenyan political scene.
Rev. Canon Dr. Martin Olando is the principal, Bishop Hannington Institute, Mombasa
