Farmers and other stakeholders in Trans Nzoia County have accused Agriculture CS Peter Munya of running down Kenya Seed Company.
Led by Peter Chemuigut, they said the CS has been making decisions touching on Kenya Seed contrary to the company’s act.
Chemuigut said the private sector has more shares in Kenya Seed compared to the Government.
He said Kenya Seed should not be run like a parastatal.
“The recent influence by Agriculture CS Peter Munya in picking the new directors and gazzetting their names contravenes the company’s act 2015. It is illegal,” he said.
He complained that the 50th AGM held on March,26, the notice of AGM did not involve the continuing directors.
According to the Constitution of Kenya Seed Company, the chairman of an AGM must be a shareholder and a continuing director.
“In this case, the meeting was chaired by Eng.Stanley Kamau from the National Treasury. This is a violation of the Constitution,” he said.
He added that the names of the new directors were supposed to be deposited with the registrar of companies and not gazzetted by the ministry of Agriculture.
Chemuigut said the Ministry of Agriculture is partially managing Kenya seed like a Parastatal and as a Company.
“If Kenya seed is a parastatal why are shareholders paid dividends? Why is it that there are AGMs,” Chemuigut posed?
The former ADC board member said instead of interference from State departments, ADC should be the one to have fully been involved in the company’s decision-making processes because it is a bigger stakeholder.
Chemuigut alleged that the Managing Director Fredrick Oloibe was handpicked through the influence of the Agriculture CS without following due process.
He said under Oloibe’s leadership, fake maize seeds have flooded the market.
He said this will lead to poor yields this year.
“The issue of fake seed must therefore be an inside job because during the regime of Azaria Soi,Oloibe’s predecessor, no fake seed incidences were recorded” added Chemuigut.
He said the stakeholders will be heading to court to delink the ministry from interfering with the firm.