Gerald Bitok, State House’s director of public communication, has denied that the government barred the Nyanza region from receiving subsidized fertilizer, as claimed by National Assembly minority leader Opiyo Wandayi.
On Friday, August 11, the communication expert shared a list outlining how farm inputs were distributed throughout the Western region, which included Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori, and Siaya counties.
For instance, in Homa Bay Phase 1, only 1,317 farmers redeemed their vouchers out of 105,156 registered for the project.
Bitok urged farmers to collect and redeem their vouchers at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) after the list showed the number of vouchers sent to the regions.
“MP Opiyo Wandayi, a wise man, once said numbers never lie. Seems you are spending little time with your constituent,” Bitok criticized Wandayi.
“The President just launched the short rains’ distribution, and a bag will cost you only Ksh2,500, down from Ksh3,500. Visit your nearest NCPB,” he added.
Wandayi had accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of delaying notifications to registered farmers informing them to collect subsidized fertilizers from NCPB depots.
He also claimed that there was a delay in activating vouchers, preventing farmers from accessing fertilizers at a subsidized rate of Ksh2,500.
The delays, according to the opposition politician, were caused by a political scheme allegedly orchestrated by the national government to force farmers to rely on relief food distribution.
