President William Ruto has called out leaders who are poking holes in his KSh 150 million bonus payment to farmers who are supplying sugar canes to the Mumias Sugar Company in Kakamega.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka questioned the source of funds used in paying the farmers, claiming they were drawn from the exchequer rather than made by the sugar company.
However, speaking on Thursday, Ruto hit back at Kalonzo, clarifying that the money in question was obtained from the sugar company after streamlining the management as he had promised.
President Ruto questioned why such questions are not raised when coffee and tea farmers are paid their bonuses, insisting that sugar cane farmers also have a right to benefit from their hustle.
“I hear people asking where the president is getting money to pay sugarcane farmers bonuses, where do you think the money to pay tea farmers their bonuses is coming from? And the coffee farmers’ bonuses where do you think the money is coming from? The place where we get money for the tea and coffee farmers’ bonuses is the same place where the sugarcane farmers’ bonuses come from.
Are sugarcane farmers not Kenyan? Coffee farmers get bonuses, tea farmers get bonuses but when a sugarcane farmer gets a bonus questions get asked," Ruto said.
