We delivered less bags, farmers say as Kiunjuri to name ‘big fish’

Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Mwangi Kiunjuri.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has promised to name the ‘big fish’ involved in the maize scandal even as farmers in the ministry’s ‘list of shame’ say they delivered less bags than was reported in Parliament. 

Saturday, Kiunjuri said he is ready to face off with cartels at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and rubbished calls that he should resign.

“I am dealing with the big fish. We have enough evidence of the rot that has been going on in the board and I will ensure all those responsible for the Sh740 million scam are prosecuted,” the CS said.  

National Assembly Agriculture Committee Chairman Adan Haji Ali had accused Kiunjuri of failing in his role as head of ministry. “The buck stops with the leadership in the ministry. Kiunjuri must tell Kenyans what he knows about the twin scandals of maize and fertiliser,” said the Mandera South MP.

But even as Kiunjuri promised to hand the big fish to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), some farmers mentioned on the list of 18 presented to MPs by Agriculture PS Richard Lesiampe said they delivered less bags than stated in the report.

The farmers said their deliveries were in 90kg bags, not 50kg as stated.

A farmer told Sunday Standard he delivered 5,600 90kg bags. But the ministry’s report tabled in Parliament by Lesiyampe indicate he supplied more than 80,000 50kg bags.

According to calculations based on the 50kg per bag supplied, the payments were set at 90kg per bag, raising doubts whether indeed there are 3.8 million bags of maize at the NCPB as indicated by Dr Lesiyampe.

Genuine farmers

In shocking revelations that continue to emerge, Sunday Standard has established that as seven genuine farmers delivered a total of 161,391 50kg bags to the Eldoret depot, cartels also delivered 418,394 50kg bags to the same stores.

The scandal, according to the investigations, was hatched immediately after Kiunjuri set the cost for purchase of maize at Sh3,200 per 90kg bag. Millers were buying the same bag at Sh2,300 and local traders at between Sh1,800 and Sh2,000.

Maize from neighbouring Uganda sold for Sh1,300 for 90kg bag, meaning an illustrious trader would make a Sh1,900 profit for imported maize sold to NCPB.

Maize from Mexico and South Africa, which are suspected to have been part of those delivered, were far cheaper.

This is how top and influential Kenyans, including six legislators from the Rift Valley and one from Central Kenya, an aide to a senior politician and a Private Secretary blocked genuine farmers from benefiting from NCPB.

Lesiyampe informed MPs that these merchants have no farms and only colluded with top officials from NCPB to abuse the process, leading to the abrupt resignation of Chief Executive Officer Newton Terer and suspension of five regional managers.

They exploited the Government decision to bridge maize deficit last year and went overboard, flooding the country with grains from Mexico, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania and making a killing.

Sunday Standard has reliably learnt that these illegal maize imported by influential Kenyans was stored in various go downs in Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret and later sold to NCPB.

At the Kisumu depot, a total of 214,187 50kg bags were delivered while Nakuru depot received 182,661.

“It seems there were fictitious deliveries. It appears we are pursuing a mirage. What should be done quickly is to conduct a physical stock check. Reconciliation of the bags and the quantity delivered by an independent forensic audit,” urged National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja).

Unanswered questions

“This is a bigger scandal than what the public has perceived. If the Government wants to get to bottom of this matter, it must ascertain maize was bought before we pursue the fraud,” said Vice Chair Jessica Mbalu.

Mbalu also demanded an audit to establish the truth.

“We will get to the bottom of this matter. There are many questions than answers in this scandal. Nobody knows the amount of maize that was delivered into our stores, the figures could be deceiving and the scandal bigger than we can tell now,” Mbalu said.

Kenya farmers Association (KFA) Director Kipkorir Menjo said brokers edged out genuine farmers and their deliveries were not subjected to the usual checks.

“These people were given preferential treatment. There trucks never queued but got express access to the depots,” he said.

“The 50kg delivery system is an even bigger game to beat the system. Just like the quantities of genuine farmers have been inflated to conceal the consignments of the fake traders.”

Menjo said farmers are owed Sh12 billion, yet Sh5.2 billion of this has been paid to the traders.

The farmers are are planning a major demonstration on Tuesday to pile pressure on the government to act. The ministry is also set to release its full report on the matter.

[Jacob Ng’etich, Roselyne Obala and Bonface Gikandi]