Leader of Minority in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi has decried what he termed as skewed distribution of subsidised fertiliser.
Wandayi said his office has received reports that the government is denying Nyanza region subsidised fertiliser as farmers across the nation prepare for the onset of the short rains season.
He said farmers in Siaya and Homa Bay counties, among other areas, are fearful that the National Government is hell-bent on denying them the low-cost fertiliser.
“We call on people who oversee the distribution of fertiliser and seeds to Nyanza farmers to desist from this unwarranted discrimination,” he stated.
In a statement, Wandayi said Nyanza does not need relief food or sympathy but deserves to get what other regions are getting.
“Nyanza needs fertilisers, seeds, tractors, and other agricultural inputs that other regions are getting,” he maintained.
He added that Nyanza comprises hard-working people who have thrived in virtually all sectors, against “monumental odds sanctioned by the State”.
Wandayi said the National Government had held highly publicised but most minor impactful relief food distribution events in the region to score political points.
"For unexplained reasons, registered farmers in the region have not yet received a notification to collect their allocation of subsidised fertiliser from their local depots,” he added.
He said farmers from far-flung counties are collecting truckloads of fertiliser as local farmers in Nyanza watch and wait in disbelief.
“This skewed distribution of subsidised fertilizer is certainly an effort to disenfranchise poor farmers in Nyanza,” he claimed.
Wandayi said leaders in the region should avoid being used to impoverish the community for the political gain of other areas.
On August 2, President William Ruto announced the second phase of the fertiliser subsidy programme which will see a 50-kg bag cost Sh2,500, down from Sh3,500.
Ruto encouraged farmers across the country to redouble the use of the subsidized fertilisers distributed by the government.
