For the fifth day on Tuesday, Ruto and his troops, who are on a working tour of Mt Kenya region, attacked the opposition over the demonstrations. The President has rejected any attempt to share power with the opposition in the wake of the planned talks between his team and Raila’s.
The talks, which are expected to begin on Wednesday at the Bomas of Kenya, followed opposition protests over the high cost of living and calls to audit last year’s polls. The President said that he won’t entertain further protests following the destructive nature of the previous ones.
This came even as he held close door meeting with the region’s leaders at the Sagana State Lodge to plan the development of the area.The President also commissioned a modernised Kenya Cooperative Creameries Kiganjo factory in Nyeri.
Ruto used the event to articulate his administration’s plans to overhaul the dairy industry that he said has suffered years of neglect and condemned farmers to poverty.
He announced that his administration was procuring Sh8 billion milk coolers for distribution across the country by December, adding that he has already dispatched a team led by Agriculture Principal Secretary Kello Harsama to Poland to assess the quality of specification of the milk coolers.
“I want to ask MPs, governors, let’s help each other. You will decide where the coolers will be installed,” he said.
The President said that his administration has banned importation of powdered milk to protect local dairy farmers whose returns have dwindled because of importation of the product.
The head state said that the government has scrapped duty on animal feed in efforts to reduce burden on the farmer and increase productivity.
“In our budget, we have removed tax on animal feed products. We have authorised yellow maize and other animal feed can be imported without duty,” he said.
“We must transfer the benefits of the tax exemptions to be to the benefit of the farmers not to the manufactures or importers. Our plan is to benefit the farmer.”
The government has also a released some Sh10 billion to the Agricultural Finance Cooperation for advancement to farmers at lower interest rates.
“We have set sh10 billion for credit at Agricultural Finance Corporation. We have said the interest must not exceed eight percent,” the President said. “We will ensure that access to credit is a component of making sure that reduce the cost of production.”
The President maintained that he will dismantle cartels who had held the sector hostage for decades to the detriment of the farmers.
“This is a very important sector because it is giving us jobs, wealth and enabling many people to get their daily bread. This sector produces about Sh200 billion every year,” he said.
By Hallan Emodia