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Monday, March 13, 2023 – Kenyans are up in arms over President William Ruto’s Sh31 billion deal to purchase tractors from Belarus.
The government has already begun to purchase heavy machines, including tractors, high-speed propelled forage harvesters, centre pivots, and tipping lorries from Belarus.
The Sh31 billion project is to be implemented within the following 18 months by the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC).
According to reports, the machines will be deployed to four government entities.
“The government institutions that will benefit from the deal include the Kenya Prison Service, National Youth Service, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, and the Agricultural Development Corporation,” the report read in part.
In addition, the report details that the multibillion-shilling project will be funded by a concessional facility by the State of Belarus after a government-to-government agreement between the two countries.
“The second mention of the source of funding is to be found in a Cabinet paper headlined ‘The National Agricultural Mechanisation Program to be implemented by the Agricultural Finance Corporation,” added the report.
“The government of Belarus has identified Aftrade DMCC as the company that will organise the whole process of identification of manufacturers, identification of equipment and the party that will lead negotiations,” a letter by the chief executive of AFC, George Kubai to the Office of the Attorney-General read in part.
However, reports of the project drew mixed reactions from Kenyans who questioned the capacity of the AFC to facilitate the project.
Some raised concerns stating that the deal would sideline the local engineering labour force hence killing knowledge transfer and development of the sector
“The sector has had hundreds of Agricultural and Bio-System engineers,” Ndolo stated on Twitter.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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