Nyandarua Members of County Assembly MCAs) have demanded a detailed audit on the procurement and subsequent distribution of relief food that was offered to vulnerable families from the emergency fund.
They also demanded information on the distribution of the government subsidized fertilizers amid claims that the overhead costs were inflated.
Karau MCA Daniel Gitau questioned the criteria used to distribute relief food across the County, noting that there were wards severely affected by the ongoing dry spell and poor harvest but they had not received any form of intervention.
Governor Moses Badilisha had a fortnight ago distributed food rations to residents of Nyandarua North Sub County, with about 3,000 families benefiting.
“The committee should provide a detailed report on the criteria used to distribute foodstuffs in the affected areas such as Olkalou Sub County, details of people who benefited from the relief food and whether there exists any plan for administration of the emergency fund program in all the wards in the County,” stated Gitau, citing poor harvest in Ndaragwa, Turasha and Ol Jororok.
Also challenging the Committee on Special Funds Accounts to provide information on the status of Nyandarua County Emergency Fund for the last two financial years, Gitau noted, “The Public Finance Management Act provides that the Executive member for Finance should provide information to the assembly on any expenditure in relation to the County Emergency Fund.”
Magumu MCA Hussein Kassana demanded information on sale and distribution of subsidized fertilizer to the public.
While seeking a statement from the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development, Kassana expressed concern that the distribution and collection of subsidized fertilizer were causing delays, translating into extremely expensive costs, and equating the subsidized fertilizers’ cost to prevailing market prices.
“The County Government confirmed that the subsidized fertilizer was distributed to the National Cereal Produce Board depot in Ol Kalou. Why then is it taking too long to kick start the distribution process to the farmers?” asked Kassana.
He also requested the agriculture committee to furnish the House with information on the amount of subsidized fertilizer received in Nyandarua through the NCPB or the County Depots, and the anticipated effect.
Speaker Stephen Waiganjo gave the two committees 30 days to table a report on the issues.