Govt dissolves cereals board

Agriculture minister William Ruto addresses a news conference at his Kilimo House office. He announced changes in the management of the National Cereals and Produces Board. To his left is Assistant minister Kareke Mbiuki. Photo/ LIZ MUTHONI

What you need to know:

  • NCPB's key managers sent home.
  • Agriculture minister William Ruto has named five new members of the board to be headed by Dr Andrian Wekulo Mukhebi.

  • Board's top level management reduced from 14 to four.

The government has dissolved the National Cereals and Produce Board after carrying out an audit on its operations and structure.

All current managers have also been sent home and the management structure reduced from 14 to four.

The new changes, announced by Agriculture minister William Ruto Monday, come at a time when a Sh825 million maize scandal probe is ongoing.

Five new members have been appointed to the board.

They are: Andrian Wekulo Mukhebi, Elias Barree Shill, Rozaah Akinyi Buyu, Mohamed Islam Ali and Timothy Kipkorir Busienei.

Prof Gideon Misoi remains as the managing director.

Those replaced are: Mr James Gitutho Njendu, Mrs Grace Wanjiku Maina, Mr Francis Wanyonyi, Mr Bernard Maingi Killu and Ms Beatrice King’ori.

“The new structure will facilitate transparent, efficient and professional delivery on the mandate assigned on the NCPB in conformity with the liberalised market,” said Mr Ruto.

The minister added that two current general managers have been sent on terminal leave and their positions will be advertised for competitive replacement. The rest have either been sent on early retirement, terminal leave, or summary dismissal.

“All their positions will be advertised for competitive replacement.”

He, however, cautioned that the move does not absolve any of the officials from corruption allegations. He added that action will be taken against any official found guilty in the ongoing investigations.

Investigations indicate that close to a billion shillings has been lost through corruption in the maize sector. More than 100,000 bags of maize cannot be accounted for at the strategic grain reserves manned by the NCPB.

The maize scandal also revolves around the allocation of government stocks to brokers who acted as millers at a price of Sh1,750. They later sold the same maize to millers at Sh2,600.

This has been said to be the reason behind the sudden increase in the price of a two kilogramme packet of maize flour from Sh55 to Sh130 in December last year.

A cartel involving politicians and prominent businessmen is said to have been behind the deals and some are being accused of exporting the grains to Southern Sudan.