Green grams farmers seek Sh4 million pay

Tharaka-Nithi Deputy Governor Nyamu Kagwima at a past event. He has pledged that the devolved government will pay green grams farmers Sh4 million debt. (Muthengi Muthomi Standard)

Green grams farmers from Tharaka and Igambang’ombe areas of Tharaka-Nithi County are urging county government to pay them Sh4 million debt for their produce that they delivered to the devolved unit’s cereals union in December last year.

Towards the end of last year, the county government acquired a loan of Sh15 million using the cereals union from Solution Sacco for buying green grams from farmers as a way of creating market and also cushioning the poor agriculturalists from exploitive brokers but a section of farmers is yet to receive pay.

Speaking to journalists in Marimanti town, a section of farmers complained that since December, they had been visiting the county headquarters Kathwana to ask for their money without success.

They said they had been frustrated enough and were considering surrendering the money.

Nicholas Kimakia, a farmer from Karuma area in Tharaka South said the county officials had announced in the media and in public meetings that farmers were to be paid less than one week upon delivery of their cereals to the agents or union stalls but all the good pledges had turned fabrications.

Turned away

He said that local business people, who had been contracted to receive the produce, issued them with delivery notes which they surrendered to the union offices only to be turned away and asked to wait for the pay for unspecified period.

“We thought we would get the money immediately because most of us targeted to use it in paying school fees for our children in January but this was not possible,” said Mr Kimakia.

Joseph Mutegi, another farmer said they thought the program would be of great help to them but turned a scam and called on Governor Muthomi Njuki to intervene to ensure that they get the money.

“We are hoping that our governor will intervene so that we can get our money,” said Mr Mutegi. Contacted, Deputy Governor Nyamu Kagwima who by then doubled as the Trade and Cooperative executive said there were seven business people who were contracted by the union to collect the cereals who conned county government by failing to deliver to the union and selling to brokers.

 The county deputy chief said the union was supposed to pay the farmers Sh42 per kilogramme upon surrendering the delivery note and later pay them the balance of Sh28 after selling the cereals.

“We could not pay about Sh4 million because our agents who reportedly received the green grams did not deliver to us,” said Kagwima.

Police intervention

He said the devolved government had informed the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and that the necessary legal action was being taken.

He urged farmers to remain patient promising that they will soon receive their money immediately the money is recovered from the seven con suspects.

Kagwima noted that though county government did not buy the produce last harvest season due to financial problems, the program will continue after securing money from other lenders.

He said already he had approached Equity Bank and Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture program in order to get some money to continue with the programme.


Want to get latest farming tips and videos?
Join Us