News
Maize chiefs sacked as food crisis drags on
Minister for Agriculture William Ruto at a previous function. PHOTO/ Liz Muthoni
Posted Monday, January 26 2009 at 22:13
The Nation has established that the move to replace the directors and sack the managers came after the audit revealed incompetence in the board.
The minister added that two general managers, in charge of operations and finance and administration, have been sent on terminal leave and their positions will be advertised.
The 12 other managers have also either been sent on early retirement, terminal leave, or summary dismissal.
Corruption charges
Those sent home were in charge of operations, finance, sales and marketing, pest control, human resources and the company secretary.
“All their positions will be advertised for competitive replacement,” said Mr Ruto.
The minister added that the sackings do not absolve NCPB officials from corruption charges adding that those found guilty in the ongoing investigations will be punished.
More than 150,000 bags of maize are said to have disappeared from the grain stores managed by the NCPB.
Last week, the government announced that the strategic reserves had only 1.3 million bags and due to this precarious situation it indicated that it intend to buy another two million bags of maize to replenish stocks by mid-February.
In contrast, following impressive harvests in 2006 and 2007, the board had stocks of up to 5.2 million bags in January 2008.
It was allowed to sell 3.67 million bags to maize millers, individual households (one bag each), schools and millers of animal feed.
NCPB was hoping to buy 4.57 million bags locally but this has now been complicated by poor harvest this year, wasted grain following the post-election violence and farmers’ refusal to sell their grain to the government.
On Monday, Mr Ruto said that the Cabinet committee on food security was meeting this week to make a decision on the stand by the farmers.
Farmers have said they will only give NCPB maize if they are paid Sh2,500 a bag. The government is offering Sh1,950.
Between October and December last year, the government issued instructions to NCPB not to release maize to millers, creating an acute shortage.
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Submitted by mzeemojaPosted January 27, 2009 08:17 PM
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Submitted by gathoni
He should have taken responsibility, since he heads this ministry because all this scandals happened with the ministry under his commando.
Posted January 27, 2009 08:17 PM -
Submitted by Kabird
How come no MP's or minister are sacked or voluntarily quits? Only in Kenya that wrong doing is an initiation to who is who club? Those involved in those shady deals should be in jail by now. It's saddening to know that our government arms are incapable of protecting the needs of common mwananchi
Posted January 27, 2009 04:58 PM -
Submitted by Ness
So Hon. Ruto who was the boss at NCPB? was it not the MD do you prune a tree which has withered or cut it?? There is more than meet the eye. Hon. Ruto stop taking us in circles..........
Posted January 27, 2009 04:11 PM -
Submitted by tuwa
the government should also go for the brokers who posed as millers to fleece kenyans. the firing of top managers will only be real if they leave office. thet might choose to remain put and seek help from their gofahers. afterall the public already thinks they are out.
Posted January 27, 2009 02:56 PM
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To Ruto, people dying of hunger is nothing and he cares little. Only he thinks Kenyans can't read between the lines. He's denying the obvious just like during the PEV.