MP demands talks on maize

• Mututho writes to six House teams asking for meeting to discuss scandal

Naivasha MP John Mututho has called for a joint meeting of six parliamentary committees to discuss the maize scandal.

The MP also wants the meeting to discuss the importation of genetically modified maize.

In a letter to the chairmen of the committees, Mr Mututho also says that PricewaterhouseCoopers, the donor consultative group, strategic grain reserve trustees and the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission should also attend the round-table meeting.

“They can brief the joint committees on status of investigations, presentations of all finds so far and the role of the international partners in fighting the vice and handling of GMO maize, not withstanding cross-border trade,” Mr Mututho says in the letter.

The May 10 letter is addressed to MPs Farah Maalim of the Liaison Committee, David Koech of the Education Committee, Boni Khalwale of the Public Accounts Committee, Mithika Linturi of the Public Investments Committee and Chris Okemo of the Finance and Trade Committee.

Mr Mututho has attached a copy of last weekend’s Sunday Nation article that revealed how Kenya lost millions of shillings to a South African firm in the maize deal.

Also attached is a copy of a South African magazine, Noseweek, which also talks of the scandal.

Cannot wait

The MP, who chairs the Agriculture Committee, says the issue cannot wait any more.

The Naivasha MP says that 280,000 tonnes of GMO maize had been imported and was being consumed in the country. He says the money involved could be in excess of Sh28 billion.

His letter comes a day after the government warned of the existence of contaminated maize in drought-prone areas of Eastern and Coast provinces.

Samples tested by the National Cereals and Produce Board were found to contain aflatoxin above the tolerable levels.