Governor presses for fund

Governor Isaac Ruto has asked Members of the National Assembly to fast-track the approval of an Emergency Fund for the county that will cushion residents whose crops have failed.

The governor said the region is staring at a food security challenge due to an 80 per cent crop failure due to a biting drought witnessed early this year.

Mr Ruto said: “There is need to speed up the process of approving the funds for counties to enable us to tackle food insecurity.”

Slow pace

Ruto said as a leader from the region, which has not harvested maize since 2010 when the lethal Necrosis disease broke out, he is getting worried over the slow pace at which the funds are being processed by the State.

“Maize crop failure is a ticking time bomb.

“We should not turn a blind eye, national leaders should take the issue seriously,” he said.

Speaking to The Standard yesterday, the governor said releasing the funds would enable them to keep strategic reserve grains to be sold to locals at a subsidised price.

“We have bought Boma Rodhes seeds which we are supplying to farmers at lower prices through co-operative societies and beans that will ensure better returns,” he added.