Joy for Kilifi farmers as Uhuru plans to revive cashew nut sector

The Jubilee administration will soon announce plans to revive the ailing cashew nut industry to uplift the farmers in Kilifi, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced in the county Friday evening.

President Kenyatta who was accompanied by his Deputy William Ruto during a whirlwind tour of coast counties which kicked off on Friday morning, also announced that a Sh2.7 billion water project in Magarini would be started as part of multi-billion projects that the national government has initiated at the region as part the administration's development agenda.

The president said cashew nut farming was once the gold of the region because many farmers depended on it for survival but their lives were affected after the collapse of the Kenya Cashewnut Factory in Kibarani.

“I know that after the collapse of the factory, the growing of the crop also ended with only a handful of farmers undertaking it,” said the President.

He added that if plans of reviving the factory fail, the government would contemplate starting a new factory altogether.

“Our main aim is to make sure that farmers regain hopes of benefiting from the crop. We will even think of starting a new cashew nut factory,” said President Kenyatta.

Mr Kenyatta, also accompanied by Governor Amason Kingi, spoke at the Kilifi town after commissioning a 1.5km road.

The road starts at Diamond and stretches to Kilifi Primary School before connecting to the main road from Barclays to Kwa Charo Wa Mae.

Mr Ruto said the Jubilee government will continue to implement projects in every part of the country without considering voting patterns of the people.

“This government belongs to all of us and projects will be implemented to all Kenyans not looking into whether you voted for the Opposition or the government,” said Mr Ruto.

Kilifi Governor Kingi said he would support development programs initiated by the national government.

“Any projects being implemented by the national government has my support. This is because the projects are all geared towards benefiting the people,” said Mr Kingi.

Kilifi North MP Gedion Mung’aro whose constituency is where the road was constructed said the issue of land disputes remained a big problem in the region and that there was need for the government to address it.

“We have the problem of land issues in Ihaleni, Nayeni and Mkoroshoni. We want to get a long lasting solution to this problem,” said Mr Mung’aro.

The Head of State, who was greeted by thousands of Kilifi residents,  promised to return to the region to officially commission the Bamba-Mariakani and the Mavueni-Kaloleni roads.

He then toured the Kilifi County Hospital to inspect the Sh400 million health equipment that were bought by the national government.

From there, he went to Mavueni where he launched the Last Mile Electricity Program before addressing hundreds of people at Mtwapa Township.

Earlier, the two Jubilee leaders toured Malindi County and Hola in Tana River where they commissioned key road and hospital projects funded by the national government.

In Malindi, he launched the tarmacking of the key 110km Malindi-Kakone-Sala Gate road expected to open up the area and make it easier for horticultural farmers to sell their products.

Expected to cost Sh4.2 billion, the road is also expected to bring revenue on opening up to the Tsavo East National Park.

It is expected to be completed in September 2019, but the contractor promised President Kenyatta and DP Ruto that he would pave the first 12 km by December.

Mr Kenyatta, who returned to Malindi for the first since the hotly contested local constituency by-election won by ODM, said he was back as he promised ahead of the campaign for the seat, to fulfil pledges he had made to the people.

He stressed that Jubilee leadership was ready to work with all leaders to unify and improve lives of the people.

However, he regretted that Opposition leaders’ penchant for politics of self- interest, insults, disrespect, lies and generally retrogressive policies would not give room to a mutual relationship aimed at working for the country's interests.

For instance, he said, the thorny issue of land and squatters in Kilifi can be resolved if the county leadership and that of the national government worked together.

Governor Kingi, who also addressed the rally, said he was ready to work with the national government for the benefit of the people.

President Kenyatta remarked that had the governor done that when he took over office, the county and its people would far in as far as development is concerned.

The President and Mr Ruto appealed to leaders to respect each other and compete on policies as they seek votes instead of engaging in insults.

On Saturday, the Head of State would preside over the commissioning of the second container terminal at the port before heading to Kwale County.

Editing by Joel Muinde