ODM leader Raila Odinga has ignited an online debate with his Friday morning tweet on the plight of maize farmers in the country.
In his tweet, Odinga expressed disappointment with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), claiming that they are importing maize at the expense of local farmers.
He noted that farmers face a lot of challenges in the process of farming maize, adding that it is a “total shame” that some farmers never get an opportunity to sell their maize to NCPB.
“Farmers toil to till the land, plant, weed, and harvest: coupled with prayer for the rains to start and stop at the right time. When the produce is taken to NCPB they're informed that the board cannot purchase it because its stores are full of "imported" maize. A total shame!” he tweeted.
The tweet elicited massive reactions with some netizens agreeing with the former Premier, while others claimed that he was using the maize issue to appeal to farmers in the Rift Valley region.
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File image of Raila at a presser with a section of Rift Valley leaders. [Photo: Courtesy]
The tweet is part of Odinga’s latest strategy where he addresses various issues of national concern on his social media handles.
So far, he has addressed himself on the issue of national security, public debt, corruption and universal health care among others.
Even though he is yet to announce whether he’ll be contesting for the presidency in 2022, many believe he is laying ground for his final stab at the presidency.
Here are some reactions from Raila's tweet:
