Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has urged farmers and business people in Nyanza to support President William Ruto’s administration, citing reduced fertiliser prices, improved sugarcane payments and government interventions in the livestock sector.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with stakeholders in Ndhiwa Sub-county, Homa Bay County
Omollo said the reduction in the price of a bag of fertiliser from Sh7,000 to Sh2,000 had eased the cost of production for farmers and created opportunities for economic growth.
He said Ndhiwa had more than 700 hectares under sugarcane production, with farmers having benefited from savings exceeding Sh100 million following the reduction in fertiliser prices.
According to Omollo, the savings could help farmers improve their livelihoods while stimulating economic activity in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County and the country at large.
“We were here last week with business people from this county. We listened to them and the leaders, who explained how the reduction in fertiliser prices has enabled farmers in Ndhiwa to save more than Sh100 million,” he said.
The PS also credited the Ruto administration with changes in the sugar industry, saying farmers were now receiving payments for cane delivered to factories more promptly than in the past.
He said the government had provided funds to settle outstanding debts and pay workers who had gone for months without salaries, enabling employees in the sector to receive their wages regularly.
“Previously, a farmer could deliver sugarcane to the factory and wait for up to a year to receive payment. Since President Ruto supported the sector, we have seen significant changes,” Omollo said.
He added that the fertiliser distribution programme had helped establish the acreage under sugarcane cultivation and identify farmers, making it easier to plan and support production.
Omollo further pointed to livestock vaccination programmes and efforts to organise livestock marketing as interventions intended to improve the quality of animals and enable traders to obtain better prices.
He said the measures formed part of the President’s economic agenda, which he argued had delivered on commitments made to Kenyans before the 2022 General Election.
The PS cited agriculture, food security, the digital economy, affordable housing and support for small businesses as some of the areas in which the administration had prioritised interventions.
He urged residents who had concerns about the government to raise them constructively, including challenges affecting road maintenance, rather than opposing the administration outright.
Omollo also invoked the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s political engagement with Ruto, saying agreements reached during their cooperation had contributed to benefits now being experienced by communities.
He called on residents to support the President in recognition of the government's interventions, while promising to organise a meeting between sugarcane farmers and Ruto to address outstanding concerns affecting the sector.
“I have heard the concerns of sugarcane farmers, and I will arrange a meeting with the President to seek a solution,” he said.
The PS encouraged farmers and traders to continue participating in organised groups that provide access to loans and other forms of financial support, pledging to assist such initiatives.
Beyond agriculture, Omollo called on parents to prioritise education, saying the region needed to reclaim its historical emphasis on academic achievement to secure better opportunities for younger generations.
He also appealed for tolerance and peaceful engagement, urging residents to embrace dialogue as the country prepares for the next electoral cycle.
