MP says fuel crisis will affect flower business

By James Munyeki

The chairman of Kenya Flower Council Erastus Murethi has expressed fear that the rise in fuel cost will ruin the country’s ability to compete in the world market.

Mureithi said if the situation is not contained, the cost of farm inputs and transport costs will rise, thus affecting the yields.

"Even the airlines will start imposing a fuel surcharge on us and the cost of flowers per unit will go up making our country a minor competitor," he said.

Mureithi said the new costs will also increase costs of other essential commodities like flour, hence adding misery to the poor.

Road projects

Mureithi, who is the MP for Olkalou constituency, made the remarks over the weekend after distributing cheques of over Sh25 million to various development projects in his constituency.

The funds sourced from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) are for the completion of dispensaries, police posts and school projects. He said in the next phase of development, more focus will be on water, electricity and road projects.

The legislator hailed the local development committees, saying they had been spending the monies allocated to them appropriately.He however cautioned the few whom he said have been requesting for funds from the CDF kitty without the intention of completing projects.