State asked to sell its 55% stake in Mwea Rice Mills to farmers
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has asked the national government to allow rice farmers to buy the Mwea Rice Mills when it is offered for privatisation.
Mwea Rice Mills is limited liability company owned jointly by the Irrigation Authority (55 per cent) and Mwea rice farmers through Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited (45 per cent).
The company is one of the 11 state agencies listed for privatisation by the national government.
Waiguru said it is only logical that farmers are given the first priority to buy the 55 per cent national government’s stake in the facility.
The governor said the county government will help the farmers in acquiring the national government’s shares so they can run the factory.
Speaking during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Good Samaritan Secondary School grounds in Mutithi, Mwea, Waiguru said the government does not run businesses and therefore the rice factory should be sold to rice farmers.
“In so doing, the farmers will operate and manage the mill to be a profit-making venture, providing an avenue for the farmers to gain economic independence.”
“As a county, we will make sure that any agreements done will leave our rice farmers more empowered and not feeling disenfranchised,” Waiguru said.
The governor accused a section of local politicians of using the Mwea Rice Mills’ privatisation issue as a 2027 campaign tool instead offering advice for farmers to place themselves strategically to buy the facility.
She asked farmers to organise themselves and join rice cooperatives so as to pool resources and buy the facility.
Waiguru said the farmers stand to reap more by supporting the initiative by the government to make the rice mills self-sustaining and a profit-making facility.
“It is, therefore, my duty to advise the farmers to place themselves strategically to take up the offer to buy the government shares when that time comes,” she added.
Waiguru said the county government is partnering with the national government to produce a pesticide that will control the Golden Apple Snail that has been ravaging rice crops at Mwea irrigation scheme.
She said a pesticide used in pilot programme meant to control the spread of the snail had not been effective.
The governor asked farmers to be patient as researchers look for another pesticide that can eliminate the invasive and migratory snail.
“This pilot programme was not very successful and therefore we have gone back to the drawing board and in collaboration with the national government, our researchers are working around the clock to get a cure for the snails,” she said.
Waiguru announced that her administration will also support Kirinyaga coffee farmers towards effectively participating in the Nairobi Coffee Exchange.
The county, she said, will support Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage Company Limited with Sh50 million to construct warehouses for aggregating coffee.
Waiguru said the support will help boost the capacity of the company so it is able to handle all the coffee produce from farmers.
The governor said Kirinyaga has been one of the fastest-growing counties under devolution and urged locals to continue supporting President William Ruto’s efforts towards recovery of the economy saying the country will soon be ‘out of the woods’.
“The country’s economy is like a patient admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) whose transition to the general ward and eventually recovery is normally painstakingly long but in the end, the results are seen when the patient is discharged from hospital after full recovery.”
Source Link :- https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2023-12-12-state-asked-to-sell-its-55percent-stake-in-mwea-rice-to-farmers/
