Tuesday, September 26, 2023 – Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has left Kenyans talking after he resolved to work with cartels in Agriculture contrary to his earlier stand.
Speaking during a meeting at his offices yesterday, Gachagua asserted that the government is open to dialogue with cartels in the coffee, tea, and milk industries, but on one crucial condition.
According to Gachagua, such discussions would only occur if the cartels agreed to raise farmers’ earnings.
The Deputy President reiterated that the cartels have persistently resisted government directives while attempting to maintain their dominance in the agricultural sector.
This comes even as he emphasised that the government would not yield to any pressure exerted by multinational companies accused of monopolising the agricultural sector often at the expense of the farmers.
Gachagua revealed that the Kenya Kwanza administration was also willing to pay the political price to see through the reforms it wanted to initiate.
“Good things do not come easy. These things are not for the faint-hearted. If we give in as a government, what will the farmers do? They will uproot the coffee. What will happen to the country regarding foreign exchange?” he asked.
“Let us not give in to pressure from the cartels. We do not have a problem with having a discussion with them if they up the price. All we want is money for the farmers.”
However, Gachagua called on the farmers and Kenyans to be patient, noting that the reforms the government is initiating will yield fruit in the coming months.
-overlay.png)
0 Comments