President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed a 14-member taskforce to recommend ways of reviving the miraa sector, whose fortunes have dwindled in the recent past owing to export bans.
The taskforce has a three-month mandate and will be chaired by Geoffrey Nchooro M’ Mwenda, alternating with Agriculture PS Richard Lesiyampe.
Former Assistant minister Joseph Muturia is among the appointees to the new taskforce gazetted on Friday. The vice chairman of the taskforce will be Dave Ntawa Muthuri.
Other members include Joseph Miriti (representing traders), Lucy Nkirote, Peter Kinyua Rimbere, Karumpu Rodgers and Henry Ntongai Ituuru.
Also in the taskforce are Isabella Nkonge, a former acting head of the Coffee Directorate at Agriculture Food and Fisheries Authority, Ephantus Njeru and George Karicha Thuranira. The joint secretaries will be lawyer Jasper Mbiuki and Philip Nyingi.
The President did not, however, name any representative of the Meru County government to the taskforce despite Agriculture being a devolved function.
Several of the appointees were in a previous taskforce set up by the Ministry of Agriculture but which was disbanded over allegations of political interference.
The terms of reference of the new taskforce include consultations with farmers, traders and other stakeholder and recommending strategies to bring the industry back to its feet.
The team will also recommend how to regain lost markets and how to establish new ones as well as activities and interventions that can be supported by government resources and development partners.
It will also recommend research on Miraa agronomy, variety improvement, product development and value addition.
The team is also tasked with recommending institutional and administrative structures for the miraa value chain, and additional farming enterprises for farmers.
Two months ago, President Kenyatta announced a budgetary allocation of Sh1 billion to help the struggling sector. That was on top of a Sh600 million allocation to the taskforce disbanded last year but which was never utilised.
The secretariat of the new taskforce will be at the Agriculture ministry’s Kilimo House headquarters, Nairobi, according to the gazzette notice.
Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletter
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join