The Ministry of Agriculture is on the spot over spending more than Sh1 billion allocated towards the miraa infrastructure support project since 2016.
A report from Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya to the National Assembly by Igembe South MP John Paul Mwirigi, shows the ministry spent Sh1.1 billion on the miraa crop since 2016.
“The funds allocated to the ministry since 2016 have been utilised for the intended purposes and therefore there was no misappropriation of any resources allocated to this ministry. The ministry has adhered to proper utilisation of funds in line with the Public Finance Management Act 2012 and other acts of Parliament,” Munya states.
According to the report, Sh202.7 million was spent on miraa in 2016/2017, Sh74.3 million in 2017/2018 and Sh521.8 million in 2018/2019.
The ministry also spent another Sh309.8 million out of Sh400 million allocated in 2019/2020 while Sh200 million was allocated but unspent in 2020/2021.
But a detailed expenditure of the money throughout the years indicates that the money was not spent on the miraa crop.
More than Sh562 million went to purchase green grams, cowpeas, sorghum and Irish potato seeds as well as sweet potato and cassava cuttings.
In the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 financial years, a whopping Sh389.7 million was spent on buying the seeds distributed in Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties.
Another Sh110 million went into hunting for new local and international markets for miraa, and on sensitisation and administrative activities.
In 2019/2020, about Sh60 million went to operations and remuneration while Sh180 million was given to miraa farmers’ saccos in Embu and Meru counties.
More than Sh82 million was spent on sinking boreholes and building earth dams and market sheds.
In July last year, the parliamentary departmental committee on agriculture called for a probe into the expenditure on miraa market sheds, boreholes and saccos.
Led by Laikipia Woman Representative Cate Waruguru, the committee raised concern over utilisation of Sh1 billion for miraa revitalisation as well as delays by government to unlock the Somalia diplomatic row that led to loss of market.
She was accompanied by Machakos Woman representative Joyce Kamene, Kabuchai MP Joseph Kalasinga and Mwirigi.
In June 2020, Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (Nyamita) sued the Head of Public Service, the Attorney General and the Agriculture and Finance CSs.
The lobby claimed that officials from the Co-operatives ministry were using public funds to help the sacco recruit members in breach of the Public Officer Ethics Act and Code of Conduct.
“We are apprehensive that public funds meant for a well-structured scheme may be lost if put in an unknown private entity picked without public participation,” said the lobby.