The Kenya Meat Commission has been moved from the Ministry of Agriculture's Livestock Department to the Defense Ministry.
Agriculture CS Peter Munya through an internal memo to the livestock PS Harry Kimtai directed the transfer of ministerial responsibility of the KMC to the Ministry of Defence.
“Following the transfer of Ministerial responsibility of Kenya Meat Commission to the Ministry of Defence by the President, you are directed to facilitate a seamless transfer of KMC to the Ministry of Defence,” the memo dated September 7 read.
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.
Speaking to the Star on Wednesday, Kimtai said one of the biggest challenges that KMC has been facing is lack of market and the move will go a long way in giving solution to this.
“The Kenya Defence Force and the military will form one of our Buy Kenya, Build Kenya strategy where KMC will supply meat to the armed forces. The reorganization will help in the management and ease of things,” he said.
Kimtai assured Kenyans that this is an executive order which guides smooth running of the government-owned meat processor and the whole operation is ongoing and the Ministry of Agriculture is still working closely with KMC.
The state-owned meat processor has been grappling with an ageing plant, delayed payment of farmers leading to unreliable supply of raw materials which has slowed down operations and the government often bailed out the meat processor.
“We have since cleared paying a balance of Sh256 million that KMC owed farmers. We have been paying farmers through the off-takes, during the last financial year, and then whatever was owed we paid within the current financial year. Right now, KMC does not owe farmers any outstanding debts. We are now in modernisation, and implementing the economic stimulus which is supporting the livestock subsector,” the PS said.
By March last year, KMC has accrued debts totalling to Sh1.1 billion, with farmers’ debt standing at Sh254.4 million and outstanding payroll deductions at Sh144 million.
The transfer of KMC to the defence department follows a similar move of transferring some services of the Nairobi Country under to the military docket, which has since demonstrated good management practices.
In March, President Uhuru Kenyatta created the Nairobi Metropolitan Services headed by Major General Mohamed Badi to offer services to residents of Nairobi County.