President William Ruto, Busia governor Paul Otuoma and
Speaker Moses Wetang’ula in Nambale/HANDOUTSpeaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula has lashed out at Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka for questioning the issuance of bonus payouts to sugarcane farmers in the western region.
Speaking at Kinjavi market in Nambale, Busia County, on Thursday, Wetang’ula asked Kalonzo to keep off the initiative.
"Kalonzo's outbursts on the issuance of cane bonuses to our struggling farmers are misplaced. He should keep off the matter because he is not privy to the untold suffering cane growers have been encountering," Wetang'ula said.
Wetang’ula put the Wiper Party leader on notice over his remarks, which alleged that the bonuses were meant to entice the region to back the government.
The Speaker made the remarks during President William Ruto’s development tour of Western Kenya.
Wetang'ula called out Kalonzo for what he termed selfish and divisive politics meant to stop the western region from benefiting from development programmes initiated by the Kenya Kwanza.
"Why is Kalonzo not asking questions when tea and coffee farmers get bonuses and investors benefit from stock dividends and only criticises the government when it issues cane bonuses for the first time to farmers?" Wetang'ula posed.
He added: "Cane farmers are entitled to bonuses just
like their coffee and tea counterparts in other parts of the country."
“I have seen them question the source of monies used to pay the sugarcane farmers; where do they think the money paid to tea farmers comes from? Where does the money for coffee farmers come from? They all come from the same source,” Wetang’ula said.
Kalonzo has questioned the source of the bonuses for
sugarcane farmers.
The Wiper leader further claimed the move (sugarcane bonuses) and the recent tours to counties are a re-election campaign strategy under the guise of development tours.
Kalonzo, who addressed the press on Wednesday, alleged that the Sh150 million made available to sugarcane farmers in Kakamega by the Head of State on Monday was done without Parliament's approval.
Mumias East MP Peter Salasya has separately demanded to know where the funds were drawn from.
