Embu, Meru governors fight over Sh2 billion miraa kitty

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi

The Embu and Meru county governments have differed on how to share a Sh2.2 billion Treasury allocation to miraa farmers.

While Embu Governor Martin Wambora says they are already in talks with the Meru County government on how to share the money meant to improve miraa farming, Meru says there no such talks.

Wambora said on Wednesday that a delegation from his county was in Meru to deliberate on the sharing model and how the money will be spent.

He had only spoken about Sh1 billion but a total of Sh2.2 billion allocated in 2016/17 (Sh1.2 billion) and 2017/18 (Sh1 billion) is currently held in the Treasury as the Ministry of Agriculture forms a team to implement a miraa taskforce report released last year.

Wambora said Embu planned to use its share on provision of various crop seedlings to farmers to diversify farming to reduce reliance on miraa, which has been blamed for the high dropout rate among school boys.

He said his administration had issued 5,000 macadamia seedlings to farmers in miraa growing regions.

“Miraa brings a lot of money to the county but poses challenges in the education sector as various stakeholders have pointed out. Until we give farmers an alternative, this problem will continue and that’s why we plan crop diversification and constructing earth dams to give farmers an option,” he said.

Wishful thinking

But Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi and the miraa traders’ lobby – the Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (Nyamita) – dismissed the claims as wishful thinking, saying the funds could only be used to help revive the miraa markets.

Kiraitu said the money can only be used as per the task force’s recommendation.

“As at now, Igembe North MP Maore Maoka is the one who has been tasked to follow up with the national government on when the money will be released,” he said.

Maore was not available for comment yesterday.

Nyamita spokesman Kimathi Munjuri said Embu was “daydreaming” that the Sh2.2 billion could be diverted to other areas.

“Sh1 billion of those funds was specifically allocated to help farmers and traders mitigate the effect of the lost European markets and there cannot be any negotiation on that,” said Munjuri.