Mwea rice farmers oppose Gov't privatisation scheme
![Mwea rice farmers oppose Gov't privatisation scheme Mwea rice farmers oppose Gov't privatisation scheme](https://citizentv.obs.af-south-1.myhuaweicloud.com/113699/conversions/Mwea-rice-og_image.webp)
File image of the Mwea Rice Mill.
Rice farmers in
the Mwea irrigation scheme in Kirinyaga County have expressed their concern and opposition to the government's
decision to privatize the Mwea Rice Mill Limited.
The proposed sale
of the mill has sparked
frustration and confusion among the farmers, who question why their mill is
being sold when other rice schemes like Ahero and Mbura have never faced such a
fate.
"We have
never heard them being put up for sale; why is our mill in Mwea being sold?
Where are our leaders? Who is to speak on our behalf?" One of the
farmers posed.
The residents say that the mill is deeply rooted in
their history and was left to them by their elders and should thus not be sold.
"This mill
was started by our parents so that their future generations will find work.
Even God commands it that we work, do not take it away from us,” they
continued.
The residents have called on President William Ruto
to consider other alternatives for raising revenue instead of selling property
that has value to all residents of Mwea.
"We are calling
on Ruto and telling him that when a man is poor, his first course of action is
selling his household stuff, so if the nation is going broke, let Ruto come
clean and declare bankruptcy," the farmers asserted.
The impending sale
raises practical concerns for the farmers, such as storage for their produce
and the inexplicably low selling price of the mill.
"We wonder
where we will keep our produce when this mill is sold. Why is it being sold so
cheaply? As farmers, we will be in distress because the government has not
clarified the way forward,” they aid.
The farmers are
appealing to their leaders
for support, urging them to speak up against the privatization
of the mill.
"We are
calling on our leaders to defend us against the sale. This is a government and
people's investment at 55 and 45 percent respectively, and one doesn't sell
something that doesn't belong entirely to you,” they stated.
Mwea rice farmers have
vowed to block any privatization attempts, asserting that they need
to be involved in the process.
"We need
public participation if they want to sell our shares,” the residents declared.
The government has
listed Mwea Rice Mill Limited among 11 parastatals for privatization to
generate more revenue and reduce the demand for State resources.
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