Govt reveals names of 21 maize scandal beneficiaries

Govt reveals names of 21 maize scandal beneficiaries

The Agriculture ministry has released a list of 21 traders suspected to have allegedly conspired with National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) officials to supply maize illegally.

The Agriculture PS Richard Lesiyampe has warned that officials implicated in the scandal will face the law.

‘The directors of NCPB, the line managers whatever they did they must pay for it!” he said.

The traders earned at least Ksh.1.4 billion that should ideally have been used to buy maize from genuine Kenyan farmers.

A preliminary report targeted suppliers who sold at least 10,000 bags each above 50 kilograms to assess their authenticity.

In Eldoret, out of 15 such suppliers, 8 failed the test while five others were discovered in Kisumu.

Another nine traders in Nakuru were found to have falsely identified themselves as farmers only to be unmasked by a Rongai chief whom they had listed as their witness.

One of them was a woman identified as Celestine Chepchirchir who allegedly supplied 226,000 bags of maize at the Eldoret depot.

She was to receive Ksh.397.2million, much of which has already been paid to her. The remaining balance was found to be Ksh.62.1million.

Another supplier, Stephen Kiprop Maiyo reportedly followed with 109,000 bags in Eldoret. Out of Ksh.191million of his claim, Ksh.43 million is still outstanding.

The same Kiprop Maiyo was allegedly also found to also be a supplier in Kisumu with over 32,000 bags of maize at a cost of Ksh.7million.

Caroline Chepchumba who apparently delivered over 121,000 bags to the Kisumu depot  for Ksh.216million is yet to be paid Ksh.119.7million.

In Nakuru, Daniel Ng’etich was identified as the supplier of 23,000 bags priced at Ksh.39.5million. He is yet to be paid Ksh.33.5million.

One Simon Kipkosgei Changwoni is also in the list of controversial suppliers who reportedly delivered maize to more than one depot.

The Eldoret and Kisumu depots apparently received 58,000 bags worth Ksh.143.8million.

Some of the large scale suppliers are thought to have been actual farmers who bought off smaller farmers and combined their stocks for delivery but not the 21.

 

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