President William Ruto has claimed cartels in the agriculture sector are financing planned public protests by Opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Speaking in Kirinyaga on Sunday, the President said Raila’s public rally on Monday is the brainchild of corrupt players in the agriculture sector who are fighting back against his plan to weed them out.
“We must ensure that farmers’ businesses are thriving because they are the surest solutions for our food security intervention. These cartels and corrupt people in the coffee, tea and milk industries are the ones financing the protests because of our plan to get rid of cartels,” he said.
President Ruto insisted his administration will not allow cartels to take the country hostage.
“Let them protest however they want but they must leave farmers alone. They can finance whatever they want to finance but our farmers can never be the slaves of brokers and cartels who have taken hostage our market,” he said.
President Ruto further gave Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua the green light to lead the fight against cartels.
“You have my clear instructions on what you need to do… you have a big rungu, beat them out waende wakiendanga. They have troubled us for so long but their day has come. We are starting this year.”
