COG protests slow devolution of agriculture

Governors have accused the national government of frustrating efforts to devolve agriculture services as per the law.

Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua, who is the Council of Governors Agriculture and Land Committee chairman, hit out at bureaucrats at the Agriculture ministry, whom he claimed were hindering the process.

"We have been holding meetings at the ministry to agree on these issues because the law says they are devolved, but some people seem determined to frustrate the process," said Gachagua. He said CoG will put an advert in the local dailies this week on the devolved services.

Licences row

The Nyeri governor said issuance of licences in the tea, coffee, cotton and sugar sectors is one of the functions that has been devolved. He was accompanied by the COG chairman Peter Munya.

There has been a dispute on who between between counties and the national government should license coffee agents, which could delay issuing of new permits starting this month.

Governors say licensing of the agents is a devolved function as are all the other agricultural activities, but the Agriculture Fisheries and Food Authority has been insisting it is the body mandated to give out the permits. Kenya Planters' Co-operative Union (KPCU) is one of the entities caught up in the raging dispute. KPCU is seeking to re-enter the coffee marketing business after coming out of receivership in 2014.