You can't reduce the price of something you got for free, Senator Sifuna says on fertiliser subsidy

The senator, during his appearance on Citizen TV's daybreak show on November 16, stated that he was asked to substantiate his claims of the free fertilizer that landed in Kenya from Russia, which he claims he did.

"You cannot subsidize something that you received for free. You cannot reduce the price of something you got for free."

The senator went ahead to provide context for his assertions stating, "What I want people to understand is that the so-called fertilisers, the Russian government confirmed that it gave for free."

He further questioned the transparency of the government's actions, saying that they have not been clear on how they handled the donation.

"When did you ever see the agriculture CS saying that this is the free fertiliser we got, get it for free? It is not free; they actually sold that fertiliser to farmers and claimed it's subsidised," Sifuna said.

Expressing his frustration and concern as a farmer in western Kenya, Senator Sifuna drew attention to the timing and impact of the alleged subsidy.

"How long does maize farming take? You received the fertilizer in the past three months, why are the prices not coming down? Yet you subsidized, and we have enough rain now, we have had three harvests, where is the cheap fertilizer?" Sifuna lamented, adding that Senate Speaker promised to look at the evidence and straighten out the discrepancy around the fertiliser subsidy program. 

In January 2023, the government rolled out its first subsidy program, where the fertiliser was set to cost the farmers Ksh.3,500 down from the then market price of Ksh.6,500.