There was outrage in Parliament yesterday following revelations that Sh5.7 billion set aside for purchase of fertiliser had been diverted to the security docket.

The revelation was made at a meeting between National Assembly Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Omuhaka. 

The committee’s chairman, Silas Tiren, shocked the meeting when he revealed that the billions, which had been allocated for purchase of assorted fertiliser in the Supplementary Budget, had been mysteriously diverted to the Interior Ministry docket. 

Tiren pointed an accusing finger at the Treasury, blaming it for diverting the entire amount that was meant to cushion farmers from high prices of the product.

“I was shocked to learn that the Treasury has removed the money that the committee approved for purchase of fertiliser. I have raised the matter with the Speaker and hope it will be addressed before the Tuesday sitting,” Tiren said.

Tiren, who is also the Moiben MP, said despite reallocating the budgetary requests for the Ministry of Agriculture to secure the Sh5.734 billion subsidy, the Treasury went ahead to divert the money to the Security docket.

“The committee had allocated Sh5.7 billion for fertiliser subsidy. But to our dismay, no single shilling has been allocated in the Supplementary Budget,” said Tiren.

Caught by surprise

The revelations appeared to catch the CAS by surprise, saying his ministry was all along expecting Parliament to approve the Sh5.7 billion in the Supplementary Budget to cushion vulnerable farmers ahead of the long-rains planting season.

“We are at a loss; we have no money to purchase fertiliser even as the long rains approach,” a visibly shocked Omuhaka told the MPs, saying he would take up the matter with his Cabinet Secretary, Peter Munya, to intervene and revert the money.

“We are learning of the new development from you. I will immediately contact the Cabinet Secretary. I know he will raise the matter with the Cabinet or even the President,” Omuhaka told members

The committee accused the Treasury and the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) of scheming to remove the entire budget for fertiliser subsidy.

“We are asking the President to intervene and order the release of the subsidy budget. Farmers are very desperate yet the government is quiet on the issue,” Tiren said.

He said the committee was mobilising other MPs to protest the move by Treasury.

“We will paralyse the Supplementary Budget on Tuesday if nothing happens to reinstate the entire amount between now and then,” warned Tiren.

The Sh5.7 billion was estimated to offer subsidies on 114,000 tonnes of various types of fertilisers to 910,000 farmers.

Plea to the President

The lawmakers asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and order the reinstatement of the money in the Supplementary Budget, which comes up for the Third Reading on Tuesday next week.

They warned that they would stop debate on the Sh138 billion mini-budget if the subsidy vote is not reinstated.

Omuhaka said Sh31.85 billion would be required to subsidise the price of fertiliser, adding that the amount could procure 574,766 tonnes of the commodity.

The MPs, on their part, asked the President to order Treasury to invoke Article 223 of the Constitution that allows withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund before seeking Parliament’s  approval.

“Food security is more important than gun security. Unless the government is planning to build more mortuaries, a hungry person has nothing to lose,” said Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga.

Omuhaka told the committee that vulnerable small-scale farmers are being supported with subsidies through the E-Voucher system to cushion them from high prices. 

“We want all MPs who represent farmers to come out in their true colours on Tuesday and make a decision on the Supplementary Budget. Fertilisers are key to food security. If the prices have doubled, the cost of importing maize will triple,” Tiren said.

Kalasinga said the committee was concerned that the government, which is the last resort of farmers, was not supporting them, as demonstrated by the Ministry of Agriculture debacle.

“We are now in the planting season; what is the ministry doing to make sure farmers benefit from the subsidy, now that you are here, CAS?” posed Tiren.

Livestock money removed

Fafi MP Abdikadir Osman claimed that even the money set aside to cushion livestock farmers has been removed from the mini-budget.

“We, members, whose people survive on livestock, are surprised that the money the committee approved to support livestock farmers has been removed from the Supplementary Budget,” Abdikadir lamented.

Machakos County Woman Representative Joyce Kamene said she was shocked the ministry had not come up with any solution even after the money was diverted.

“Instead of coming up with a solution, the ministry is telling us that they are not aware. Where do we go now?” Kamene wondered. She added: “Whatever we requested to be put in the Supplementary Budget to subsidise fertilisers was removed. The Speaker has deferred the debate on the Supplementary Budget to next week, Tuesday, but no solution seems to be forthcoming.”

Kamene wondered why the Treasury subsidised fuel to a tune of Sh12 billion every month, but could not subsidise the cost of fertiliser. But Omuhaka said his ministry was looking at containing the spiralling prices of animal feeds.