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Governors, Senators reject CS Munya’s agriculture sector reforms

Resolve to have minister summoned to respond to queries raised

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by agatha Ngotho

News24 October 2020 - 12:21
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In Summary


  • • In October 15, Agriculture CS Peter Munya invited the public for comments of five key agricultural reform bills.
  • • The Bills include the Coffee Bill, Fibre Crops Development Authority Bill, Food Crops Development Bill, Horticulture Crops Authority Bill, and the Miraa, Pyrethrum, and Industrial Crops Bill 2020.
Agriculture CS Peter Munya during a press conference on the progress of the reforms in the tea and sugar sectors at Kilimo House, Nairobi, on August 3, 2020

Governors and Senators have rejected agricultural reforms with the lawmakers summoning the CS Peter Munya to respond to queries raised.

The leaders have warned Munya against initiating new regulations in the sector without involving county governments.

They said the Ministry of Agriculture has continued to develop a legislative and regulatory framework in the sector without involving counties.

“The Senate shall summon the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture to elaborate the policy framework that is being applied to undertake the ongoing agricultural reforms by the ministry,” a statement released on Friday by the Senate Committee on Agriculture says.

Both the Council of Governors Committee on Agriculture and that of the Senate held a consultative meeting to deliberate on issues affecting the sector in Mombasa on Friday.

The governors were led by Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi) who chairs the Agriculture committee and the Senate team was led by Njeru Ndwiga (Embu).

The meeting was to review all laws in the agriculture sector to ensure conformity with the Constitution.

The leaders jointly reject the gazettement of Sugar and Tea regulations, citing lack of compliance with the Constitution.

This follows the invitation of public comments to the five agricultural reform bills by the CS on October 15.

The bills include the Coffee Bill, Fibre Crops Development Authority Bill, Food Crops Development Bill, Horticulture Crops Authority Bill, and the Miraa, Pyrethrum, and Industrial Crops Bill, 2020.

Munya said the government-sponsored bills are part of on-going agricultural reforms that seek to increase farmers’ incomes.

He said key value-chains, such as coffee, tea, sugar and pyrethrum have not received adequate attention since the establishment of the Agriculture and Food Authority six years ago.

But the senators and governors accused Munya of making reforms without the involvement of the county governments.

The Senators said they will not consider any bills concerning county governments developed without proper and meaningful consultation.

Ndwiga said the committee will initiate a legislative review within six months of all the laws in the sector enacted prior to the promulgation of the Constitution. This will be with a view to amend or repeal some of the laws that create stage agencies to undertake devolved functions.

They also resolved to engage the ministry, the presidential task force on coffee reforms and Parliament to review the implementation of the Coffee General Regulations 2019 and the Coffee Exchange Regulations 2020 to start its commencement on November 1 as opposed to July 1, 2021. 

On Coffee reforms, the leaders said the ministry and Capital Markets Authority shall ensure that the requirement of the one million dollar bank guarantee is no longer a requirement to the farmers in coffee trading.

They resolved to have county governments assist farmers to undertake direct marketing of their produce effective November 1, 2020.

County governments shall also allocate at least 10 per cent of their annual budget to implement agricultural functions.

“No national budget shall be passed without at least 10 per cent of allocation to the agriculture sector. The Council of Governors and the Senate will commit to fight cartels in the agriculture sector,” the two teams said in their joint communique.

 

Edited by P.O

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