Kikuyu Dominated Industries Supported.... Nothing for Sugarcane Farmers

[Omollo]

I was mid deletion of some of what you have written when it occurred to me that the best response would be to leave it all intact.

I am glad that you finally admit that the Meru handout is all tribal politics by Uhuru. Now what is remaining is an unqualified apology from you for labeling "anti-Kikuyu".

I am however shocked that you give this tribal and discriminatory policy a clean bill of health and go ahead to unequivocally state that Uhuru needs not "excuse" himself for it? Where is tribalism and discrimination anchored in our constitution? Is EJK also part of our politics because it happens?

Uhuru may need solid tribal blocks and may feel the need to open his purse to them. It won't bother me at all as long as he uses his or Mama Ngina's billions ( loot from the extermination of Kenyan elephants throughout her life). Public funds cannot and should never be abused in that manner. I expected you to join me in opposing and condemning. Instead you provide the apology for Uhuru Kenyatta

Please clarify what you mean by Non-GEMA MPs not doing their job. Are the others doing theirs? Are MPs elected to defend National or tribal interests?

Much as I support Devolution I think it is overrated in relation to its capacity to counter GoK and its Apartheid tendencies. What percent exactly did the Counties get of the Euro-Bond or any other foreign fund / Aid? Consider just how much money that is and remember EVERY KENYAN will repay it. Clearly GoK has many ways of circumventing Devolution. Why Uhuru even spends money for them on wapende wasipende basis! Look at the Medical Equipment deal.

I am not against GoK assisting ALL farmers currently engaged in unproductive activities to shift to more viable activities. I am opposed to the blatant discrimination in it. I would like you to join me in condemning Uhuru Kenyatta and his government for perpetuating this discrimination against some of their citizens.
 

Yes Omollo, Jubilee favors Gema and RV as their piper. No excuses. Our "ideology" is tribe so while Obama may favor minorities or the poor, our leaders attend to their people. Unlike socioeconomic ideology that allows some wiggleroom, ethnicity is curved in the DNA leading to the PEV scenario.

Uhuru needs a solid Meru block so he unlocks the purse. He does not see such payoff in Bondo or Nyamira. Politics. This takes us to psychophancy and incompetence -- non-GEMA MPs will not do their job so this will stand.

Pundit has pushed here for 80% devolution for expediency. Well 40% seems to be the US, Germany, etc average. Germany has about 15% 'Equalisation' revenue share to ensure equity in living standards. Resource distribution is the driver of harmony or lack of it. Our new laws left 15% for the counties and a meagre 0.5% for equalization These are the basics that fell through the political cracks in Naivasha.

Yes, our government is tribal and only devolution and the regional balance clause protect non-Jubilee folks from rout. Sad but true.

SUBSIDIES... Economic policy is mandated to the government of the day. Still there are fundamental principles on striving to better the wellbeing of all citizens. Just like the revenue allocation is a policy item yet has equity clauses in the book. Note the duty I allude is to facilitate farmers with viable alternatives, not subsidies per se.

[Nefertiti]

Omollo apologize first for condoning neglect of poor farmers

Actually no, your opinion is just that so it does not affect them at all. I condemn tribalism and corruption past and present. Why would I apologize? I bear no responsibility for it, I have never worked in government. No, I am not gleeful, by "no excuses" I meant there are no excuses for tribalism. 

We have parliament, courts, counties, commissions, civil society -- partly to provide checks and balances. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Media should highlight corruption and it does. MPs should stop tribal or poor policies,  they mostly don't. Judiciary should jail looters, they mostly don't. 

Devolution should drive equitable development in the grassroots, let's give it time. Even without tribalism, development would be uneven for varied reasons. Devolution and equalization is an established global mechanism for equitable and grassroots (accessible services) development. In Germany, equalization has been used to uplift poor East states for decades. There is ongoing debate (in Germany) whether this practice should now change. In the US some state treasuries receive grants from the federal budget, it is a sort of equalization. 

There are many evils in society not just tribalism and corruption; it is OK to be aggrieved but don't be hang up on them unless you can do something about it. We condemn, analyze and propose solutions to issues. We don't apologize as observers.

I called you anti-Kikuyu... get over it

In the miraa 1B case, it is specifically incumbent on the sugarbelt MPs to question objectively and lobby support to either reverse it or include their own farmers. Why would a Meru MP oppose it? You may call it tribalism, I call it representation.

I was mid deletion of some of what you have written when it occurred to me that the best response would be to leave it all intact.

I am glad that you finally admit that the Meru handout is all tribal politics by Uhuru. Now what is remaining is an unqualified apology from you for labeling "anti-Kikuyu".

I am however shocked that you give this tribal and discriminatory policy a clean bill of health and go ahead to unequivocally state that Uhuru needs not "excuse" himself for it? Where is tribalism and discrimination anchored in our constitution? Is EJK also part of our politics because it happens?

Uhuru may need solid tribal blocks and may feel the need to open his purse to them. It won't bother me at all as long as he uses his or Mama Ngina's billions ( loot from the extermination of Kenyan elephants throughout her life). Public funds cannot and should never be abused in that manner. I expected you to join me in opposing and condemning. Instead you provide the apology for Uhuru Kenyatta

Please clarify what you mean by Non-GEMA MPs not doing their job. Are the others doing theirs? Are MPs elected to defend National or tribal interests?

Much as I support Devolution I think it is overrated in relation to its capacity to counter GoK and its Apartheid tendencies. What percent exactly did the Counties get of the Euro-Bond or any other foreign fund / Aid? Consider just how much money that is and remember EVERY KENYAN will repay it. Clearly GoK has many ways of circumventing Devolution. Why Uhuru even spends money for them on wapende wasipende basis! Look at the Medical Equipment deal.

I am not against GoK assisting ALL farmers currently engaged in unproductive activities to shift to more viable activities. I am opposed to the blatant discrimination in it. I would like you to join me in condemning Uhuru Kenyatta and his government for perpetuating this discrimination against some of their citizens.

[hk]

Omollo,

I understand your beef here is stabex (coffee) and maybe this miraa deal (which is still hazy). I don't think gov gives subsidies to region but to crops. So if you grew coffee, had some co-op, like say in Kisii then you should qualify for coffee Stabex. The same is true for sugar farmers wherever they are located.Of course I agree that gov has in the past favored some regions, coffee & tea & livestock received special attention during Kenyatta & Moi regime but I won't take from Kikuyu or Gema that they are some of most hardworking farmers deserving of every support.

The issue is which crop in say Nyanza do you think has reached a level it deserve gov support. There is barely nothing happening there. That should be the start. Miraa has been doing well and deserve support now. Just like tea industry was asking gov for some support when the markets went haywire.

As far as I know...western and north rift politicians have used political muscle to force us to subsidize industries which have no business propping...we should import Brazilian cheap sugar...and find something we can do better...maybe Soya beans..maybe dairy....anything.....that we can produce cheaply.

Our sugar is more expensive than UG, TZ and of all places MALAWI sugar.

We cannot afford to subsidize agricultural activities.
 

There is a difference here: GoK may have supported the Sugar INDUSTRY by pumping in money which the likes of Kidero then share with the so called "donor". NOTHING has ever gone to the individual farmers.

Compare that to Kibaki writing off ALL the debts of coffee farmers and once more debts were accumulated, Uhuru comes and writes them off. Kikuyu farmers are in the Debt Writing Off business not Farming.

Do Sugarcane farmers have debts? Could they benefit from debt relief?

Most of the sugarcane delivered to the factories goes to service debts. From inputs to transportation of the very sugarcane and its harvesting. It is not unusual for farmers to get a pay slip and zero cash.

What I need to know is why Kikuyu Presidents (Not Moi) see it fit to repay the individual personal debts of Kikuyu farmers and not those of Luo and Luhya farmers.

Note also that Pundit has fudged the facts.

1. The Government of Kikuyus (GoK) gives grants to Kikuyu farmers and not loans
2. The same GoK gives LOANS to Sugarcane FACTORIES NOT farmers

I would have less to say if the farmers were treated equally.

About unprodutivity: There are many factors causing this not least GoK. As the owner GoK appoints incompetent managers for these factories. When Mumias was under the Booker Management it made profit and upon handing over GoK embarked on its usual thievery.

The Sudanese and Egyptian factories benefit from government subsidies. Brazilian factories produce sugar as a by-product.

Stabex for coffee is just account receivable financing and its not a grant but a loan that's deducted upon payment of coffee https://www.co-opbank.co.ke/agri-cooperatives/stabex-fund . The loans that have been cancelled by government were loans that KPCU or myriads of cooperatives took out. The only solution to coffee industry in kenya is full liberalisation just like what the brilliant Julius kones proposed for Tea sector. The good thing is farmers have rapidly shifted from coffee to macadamia farming (fully liberalised)and are fetching good prices with minimal labour and farm inputs.

[Omollo]

This MP must have read this thread:

Balambala MP Abdikadir Aden has faulted President Uhuru Kenyatta's move to allocate Sh1 billion to revive miraa business and cushion farmers against the ban on miraa export to the UK.

Speaking to the Star on the phone, Aden said support of the trade raises moral questions because of the health implications miraa has had on people in Northern Kenya and the coastal region.

subsidise

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/04/25/balambala-mp-faults-jubilees-miraa-funding_c1337996