Rice farmers oppose state’s proposal on privatization of Western Kenya, Mwea rice mills

KENYA – Rice farmers have expressed their disappointment at the proposal by the government to privatize the Western Kenya Rice Mill.

This follows the government’s recent proposal to privatize 11 parastatals including West Kenya rice Mills and the Mwea Rice mills.

The move has sparked a lot of reactions from the rice farmers and leaders across the country.

Led by the chairman of Magombe Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Christopher Ngunyi, the farmers stated that they were shareholders at the facility yet were not consulted.

“As members of the Magombe cooperative society, we have shares in the rice mill and we are sad that the government has plans to privatize it.”

Ngunyi challenged the government to allow farmers to buy its shares in case it wanted to withdraw from the Company.

“We also want to urge the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to speed up the works at Lower Nzoia Irrigation Project,”

Ngunyi said farmers are suffering as the four pumps given to them by the National Irrigation Authority 10 years ago are now worn out.

He added that Magombe Cooperative Society donated four acres of land to construct offices for the Lower Nzoia Irrigation project but the offices are not being utilized.

‘We want the government to compensate us for the four acres that we gave out,” he said, adding that they have given a notice of 14 days’ failure to which they take the matter to court.

The official lamented that farmers still count losses during the rainy season yet the government promised to construct a warehouse and a store for them.

Ngunyi at the same time urged the government to consider providing subsidized fertilizer to improve their rice yields.

He added that there are 4,000 acres of rice growing but the big challenge is that, farmers lack special fertilizer for the crop, adding that they are forced to purchase the precious commodity from private agro-dealers.

He also urged the County Government to establish a depot for Sub County farmers instead of traveling long distances to Malaba or Bondo in Siaya County.

Court stops public participation in privatisation of Mwea Rice Mills

Meanwhile, the Kerugoya High Court has granted orders stopping any public participation in the sale of the Mwea Rice Mill which is among 11 parastatals earmarked for privatization by the government.

The rice mill is a limited liability company jointly owned by the National Irrigation Authority (55%) and Mwea rice farmers through Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited (MRGM) (45%).

This, the court ruled, is until the case is heard following a petition by two farmers Pius Njogu and John Munene.

High Court judge Richard Mwongo ruled that the respondent Cabinet Secretary for Treasury and the Attorney General had not responded to the petition by the two farmers.

Earlier, rice farmers in the Mwea irrigation scheme in Kirinyaga County expressed concern and opposition to the government’s decision to privatize the Mwea Rice Mill Limited.

According to the Treasury, the privatization and restructuring of the firms are expected to help the government raise additional revenue,

cut demand for government resources by the firms, improve the country’s regulatory environment, encourage private sector participation in the economy, and spur competition.

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