Kuria tells off critics over Wamatangi chicken project
Public Service, Performance and Delivery Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has told off critics of Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s chicken rearing programme.
Speaking at a public meeting held at the Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), he said the governor was on the right path and asked him to diversify into other areas like dairy farming.
“I have heard noises about Wamatangi’s distribution of chicks to farmers in the county. I believe it is a good move and he should even go ahead and include other fields like dairy farming because agriculture is crucial for the country’s economic transformation,” said Kuria.
The CS was the chief guest during the county dissemination of the Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTV IV) of the Kenya Vision 2030 at KIST. He was accompanied by the Principal Secretary Amos Gatheca, County Commissioner Dan Darusi and county government officials.
Wamatangi’s initiative of distributing chicken to households has come under criticism from a number of politicians, more so members of parliament from the area who claim it is a scheme to loot county coffers.
Some of the Governor’s fierce critics include National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu) and his Thika Town counterpart Alice Ng’ang’a who have challenged the county chief to account for close to Sh100 million pumped into the chicken program.
Brush aside criticism
But Kuria, himself a long-time political rival of Wamatangi, appeared to brush aside the criticism, maintaining that the was right on course and should not be vilified for assisting poultry farmers.
“If you are unhappy with the chicken project, nobody is stopping you from coming up with your own. You can even distribute quails,” remarked Kuria while answering questions from the public regarding the Kenya Kwanza government’s Bottom-up economic transformation agenda.
In the same breath, the CS expressed his misgivings to county governments’ raising of bursary kitties saying instead the devolved units should come up with programs that economically empower the people.
Bursary kitty
He was responding to a report that the Kiambu county government has increased the education bursary kitty from Sh100 million to Sh500 million.
“The increment of bursary allocations amounts to distribution of poverty among our people. We should instead empower them economically so that they can be able to pay fees for their children,” Kuria argued. He also called for integration of county healthcare services with the national health ministry to make them more viable.
“We have Wamatangi care in Kiambu, Kang’ata care in Murang’a and others elsewhere. There is need to integrate them into one system,” he added.
