Ndengu glut now forces counties to devise ways to cushion farmers

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu during a meeting with mining companies at a Nairobi hotel. [Willis Awandu/Standard]

Ndengu, described as green gold by proponents, the tiny legume is threatening to break and make political careers in Lower Eastern.

Rallied by politicians into planting green grams (ndengu) with the promise of good prices, farmers churned out bumper harvest in Tharaka Nithi, Kitui and Makueni but now the chickens have come home to roost with a ruthless market and poor prices.

In Tharaka, Governor Muthomi Njuki is holding onto a vague promise by Deputy President William Ruto that the government will begin buying the produce for strategic grain reserves after putting in place concrete modalities.

In Kitui, Governor Charity Ngilu is precariously clutching onto an equally inexplicit assurance proffered by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga that India will buy 100,000 tonnes of green grams each year from Kenya.

And in Makueni, the County Government and the County Assembly have stepped in to buy the produce from restless farmers and scout for markets later.

“We want green grams to be bought by the government just like maize. We’ll convene a meeting of leaders from the affected counties with officials from the ministries of devolution, agriculture, security and public service to implement the plan,” DP Ruto said in Tharaka two weeks ago.

Throughout the three counties, the ndengu story is of desperation, urgency and concern over a commodity whose price has fallen from Sh100 a kilo to Sh40. But it is in Kitui where the story is threatening to spill out of hand forcing Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila to come to the aid of the Governor last week.

“This is not time for blame game. Give the governor time to work and join her in looking for solutions on the green grams glut,” Kalonzo told Kitui leaders last week in a jab directed at area Senator Enock Wambua who has fallen out with the Governor over the matter.

Mr Wambua is opposed to the manner in which the county government is handling the ndengu glut. He wants the county government to buy the produce at Sh100 a kg and look for market.

Speaking during an event at Prof Makau Mutua’s home, Kalonzo turned the heat on Kitui County Assembly members whom he accused of lacking foresight in addressing the ndengu crisis. He urged the MCAs to pass legislation to cushion farmers from losses due to falling prices.

“You need to demonstrate that this is indeed a green gold by coming special legislation to safeguard from the exploitative market and ruthless middlemen,” Kalonzo told MCAs at the event.

At the Kitui bus park where Kalonzo and Raila had a rally after the event, Ngilu who has in the past received a euphoric reception was stunned when the crowd turned cold on her. It was a clear pointer that the green grams debacle was a big disappointment to the locals.

However, the presence of the two NASA co-principals appeared to calm the residents. Raila tried to make amends by claiming he had struck a deal with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lift the ban on pulses, including green grams from Kenya.

But as Kitui farmers cry for help, farmers in the neighboring Makueni County are set to smile their way to the bank after the county government pumped millions to buy green gram harvest.

The county government has partnered with 125 self-help groups and cooperatives whom it will lend the money through Tetheka Fund - a county government social fund to cushion ndengu farmers from losses. The groups will buy the produce at Sh55 per kilo.

The Tetheka Fund is an initiative of Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau.

Green Gram Value Chain Coordinator Charles Ndungu, says the groups will sign contracts with farmers to buy the produce which will then be stored at designated centres across the county until prices improve.

“If they sell at Sh100 per kilo, they will pay back a certain amount to the farmer as per the signed agreement,” Ndungu said. Just like Kitui County, Makueni produced slightly over 30, 000 metric tonnes of green grams.

Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Abbas Gullet described the green grams glut as the epitome of success towards attaining food security in the country.