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Kenya kuagiza magunia milioni 25 ya mahindi ukame ukipunguza uzalishaji

KENYA inapanga kuagiza magunia milioni 25 ya mahindi ili kuziba pengo la nafaka hiyo lililosababishwa na ukame unaoendelea kushuhudiwa katika maeneo mbalimbali nchini yanayotegemewa kwa uzalishaji wake. Kwenye mahojiano ya kipekee na Taifa Leo Dijitali, Waziri wa Kilimo na Maendeleo ya Mifugo, Mutahi Kagwe, alisema uagizaji huo utafanywa na sekta binafsi. "Ni sekta binafsi itakayonunua mahindi. Pesa hizo hazitatoka katika hazina ya Serikali," Bw Kagwe alisema kwa njia ya simu. Uamuzi huo alisema umefikiwa baada ya ukame kuathiri kaunti zinazozalisha mahindi kwa wingi, zikiwemo Uasin Gishu na Trans Nzoia, ambako wakulima wameripoti hasara kubwa baada ya mimea kukaukia shambani. Waziri Kagwe alisema Serikali ilikuwa imewataka wakulima waliokuwa na mahindi kuyapeleka katika Bodi ya Kitaifa ya Nafaka na Mazao (NCPB) ili kuongeza akiba, lakini ni magunia 180,000 pekee yaliyopokelewa na kununuliwa. Alisema kiasi hicho hakikutosha kukidhi mahitaji ya nchi. "Ni kweli wakulima wanaendelea kujiwekea mahindi kwa maghala yao, ilhali nilipokuwa kwenye ziara ya kikazi Sagana, Kirinyaga niliwaomba wayaachilie kwa NCPB," alielezea. Alifafanua kuwa Serikali haitanunua moja kwa moja magunia milioni 25, bali itafungua soko kwa wafanyabiashara binafsi kuagiza mahindi kupitia njia za kawaida za kibiashara. "Serikali haitanunui magunia milioni 25 ya mahindi kutoka nje. Tunafungua tu soko ili mahindi yaingizwe kwa njia ya kawaida na sekta binafsi," alisema. [caption id="attachment_191384" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mahindi kwenye shamba la mkulima Kiambu. Picha|Sammy Waweru[/caption] Hata hivyo, Waziri Kagwe alisisitiza kwamba Serikali itaendelea kununua mahindi kupitia NCPB kwa ajili ya akiba ya kimkakati, huku wafanyabiashara binafsi wakishughulikia uagizaji kutoka nje na usambazaji nchini. Serikali kwa sasa inanunua mahindi ya akiba kwa karibu Sh4,000 kwa gunia la kilo 90, ambayo huhifadhiwa kwenye maghala ya NCPB. Bw Kagwe alisema Kenya ilivuna takriban magunia milioni 71 ya kilo 90 mwaka jana, akirekebisha makadirio ya awali ya magunia milioni 60. Alisema ongezeko hilo lilichangiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa na mpango wa Serikali wa kutoa mbolea kupitia mpango wa ruzuku, ambao ulisaidia uzalishaji kuongezeka kutoka magunia milioni 41 hadi milioni 71 ndani ya miaka miwili hadi mitatu. Hali kadhalika, ongezeko hilo la uzalishaji mahindi nchini ulitokana na mvua bora iliyoshuhudiwa mwaka uliopita, 2025. Mahitaji ya mahindi nchini ni kati ya magunia milioni 70 na 75 kwa mwaka, hivyo Kenya inaweza kukabiliwa na upungufu wa karibu magunia milioni 25 mwaka huu kutokana na kiangazi na ukame unaoshuhudiwa. Bw Kagwe kwenye mahojiano, alisema uagizaji huo haupaswi kusababisha hofu yoyote ile kwa Wakenya, akisisitiza kuwa Serikali imeweka mipango kabambe kuhakikisha nchi haikabiliwi na uhaba wa chakula. "Tutaagiza mahindi. Tayari tumefanya mipango hiyo. Tutaweza kulisimamia hili. Nchi haitakosa chakula," alisisitiza. Awali jana, Jumatano, Agosti 19, wakati wa Mkutano wa Makala ya Tano wa Mashauriano ya pamoja na Mawaziri kutoka Kaunti (CEC) ambapo alizindua mpango wa AgriConnect Compact, Bw Kagwe alisema ukame umedhihirisha haja ya kupanua kilimo cha mfumo wa umwagiliaji mimea na mashamba maji kwa mifereji (irrigation) ili kupunguza utegemeaji wa mvua. "Tunapaswa kukumbatia kilimo kinachozingatia bunifu na teknolojia za kisasa, ili mabadiliko ya tabianchi yasiathiri uzalishaji wetu wa chakula," alisema. Aidha, Waziri Kagwe alitaja mradi wa Galana-Kulalu kama mfano wa maeneo yanayotumia teknolojia endelevu za kilimo, huku Baringo, Garissa na Tana River zikiwa na maeneo makubwa yanayoweza kuongeza uzalishaji wa chakula iwapo teknolojia hizo zitakumbatiwa. [caption id="attachment_191385" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mahindi yanayoendelea kukua kwenye shamba la mkulima. Picha|Sammy Waweru[/caption] Gavana wa Bungoma Kenneth Lusaka, ambaye ni mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Kilimo, Mifugo na Vyama vya Ushirika katika Baraza la Magavana Nchini (CoG), alisema mipango ya kilimo ya serikali imeonyesha kuwa kaunti zinaweza kupata matokeo bora raslimali zinapofikishwa kwa wakati ufaao. Bw Lusaka alisema mipango hiyo imesaidia wakulima kupata pembejeo, teknolojia, masoko, huduma za kifedha na fursa mpya za kujipatia riziki. "Mashirika yanayoleta pamoja wakulima ni muhimu hasa Kenya inapohama kutoka kilimo cha mtu mmoja mmoja kuelekea ukusanyaji wa mazao, uuzaji wa pamoja, masoko yaliyopangwa na upatikanaji bora wa fedha," Lusaka alisema. Pia, alisema uwekezaji katika mifumo ya kidijitali na teknolojia umekuwa muhimu katika kuunganisha wakulima na huduma zinazoongeza uzalishaji, masoko na mikopo. Upungufu wa mahindi unajiri wakati Serikali inajiandaa kwa uwezekano wa mvua ya El Niño kati ya mwezi Oktoba na Desemba mwaka huu. Bw Kagwe alisema mvua hiyo inaweza kuwa na manufaa au kusababisha madhara kutegemea kiwango na maeneo itakakonyesha. Wakulima wa mashamba makubwa eneo la North Rift tayari walikuwa wamepunguza akiba yao baada ya Serikali kutoa ilani ya siku 30 mapema mwaka huu ya kuachilia mahindi yaliyokuwa yamehifadhiwa au kuruhusu uagizaji wa mahindi bila ushuru, hatua iliyolenga kupunguza bei ya unga. Wakulima wanasema waliwauzia wafanyabiashara na wasagaji wa unga kwa Sh5,400 kwa gunia la kilo 90, ikilinganishwa na Sh4,000 iliyokuwa ikitolewa na NCPB. James Songok, mkulima kutoka Kerita, Kaunti ya Uasin Gishu, alisema alikuwa na magunia 300 lakini aliuza kwa wasagaji na wafanyabiashara waliotoa bei nzuri zaidi kutokana na kupanda kwa gharama za mbegu, mafuta, dawa, shughuli ya vibarua na usafirishaji. "Nilikuwa na magunia 300 ya mahindi lakini niliuzia wasagaji na wafanyabiashara wengine walionipa dili nzuri," alisema. [caption id="attachment_191386" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hindi lililokomaa tayari kuvunwa. Picha|Sammy Waweru[/caption] NCPB ilinunua magunia 200,000 katika msimu wa 2025/2026, dhidi ya lengo la magunia milioni mbili ya akiba ya kitaifa ya chakula. Serikali inalenga kuweka akiba ya magunia milioni nne ya nafaka, ikiwemo mahindi, mchele na maharagwe, au fedha sawa na thamani ya kiasi hicho. Titus Maiyo, Meneja wa Mawasiliano NCPB, alisema bodi hiyo ilinunua magunia 156,000 ya kilo 50 msimu uliopita kwa bei ya Sh2,200 kwa kila gunia. Wakati huo huo, wataalamu na wakulima wameibua wasiwasi kuhusu makadirio ya Serikali ya uzalishaji wa magunia milioni 70, wakisema uzalishaji halisi unaweza kuwa chini ya kiwango kinachosemekana kwa sababu ya mbolea isiyo bora, mbegu bandia, magonjwa na mvua nyingi wakati wa mavuno. Mtaalamu wa kilimo kutoka Eldoret, Robert Kemboi, alisema mavuno yalikuwa chini ya makadirio ya Serikali. "Kinachojitokeza ni kwamba mavuno ya mahindi yalikuwa chini ya magunia milioni 70 yanayotajwa na Serikali," Kemboi alisema. Kulingana na Shirika la Kitaifa la Takwimu Kenya (KNBS), Kenya imekuwa ikiagiza wastani wa tani 295,092 za mahindi kila mwaka katika kipindi cha miaka mitano iliyopita. Mahindi kutoka Uganda, Zambia, Afrika Kusini na Tanzania yamekuwa yakisaidia kuziba pengo la uzalishaji wa ndani kwa ndani wakati mahitaji yanapozidi kiwanfo cha mavuno. Kenya pia huzalisha kiasi kidogo cha ngano ikilinganishwa na mahitaji yake, hivyo kulazimika kuagiza kutoka nje ili kuziba pengo. Serikali sasa inalenga kuongeza akiba ya chakula na kuimarisha mifumo ya umwagiliaji mimea na mashamba maji kwa mifereji, ndiyo Irrigation systems, ili kupunguza utegemeaji wa mvua na kuhakikisha nchi haikabiliwi na uhaba wa chakula wakati wa misimu ya kiangazi na ukame.

Mundubile kupinga ushindi wa Hichilema mahakamani

LUSAKA, Zambia: KIONGOZI wa upinzani Zambia, Brian Mundubile, Alhamisi alisema atapinga matokeo ya uchaguzi wa urais uliofanyika Agosti 13 kortini, akidai kuwa kulikuwa na udanganyifu na ukiukaji mkubwa wa haki. Mundubile alisema Jumatano jioni kuwa kampeni yake imekusanya ushahidi wa kasoro katika mchakato wa uchaguzi, kuhesabiwa kwa kura, kutumwa kwa matokeo na kutangazwa kwake. "Kampeni yetu imeandika na kuhifadhi ushahidi wa ukiukaji mkubwa wa taratibu na kasoro zilizojitokeza katika mchakato wa uchaguzi," alisema katika taarifa. Mnamo Jumanne, Tume ya Uchaguzi ya Zambia ilimtangaza Rais Hakainde Hichilema mshindi baada ya kupata karibu asilimia 60 ya kura, huku Mundubile akipata asilimia 38. Hata hivyo, ujumbe wa waangalizi wa Umoja wa Ulaya (EU) ulisema kulikuwa na masuala ya kutia wasiwasi kuhusu uwazi wa mchakato wa uchaguzi. Waangalizi hao walidai wafanyakazi katika vituo vingi vya kupigia kura hawakuandika matokeo kwenye fomu rasmi mara moja baada ya kuyatangaza, kama inavyostahili kulingana na sheria. "Katika karibu nusu ya maeneo tuliyotembelea, kulikuwa na mapumziko marefu wakati wa kujumuisha matokeo, huku maafisa wakionekana kusubiri maelekezo kutoka makao makuu kabla ya kutangaza matokeo," ujumbe wa EU ulisema. Tume ya uchaguzi ilisimamisha kuhesabu kura kwa saa kadhaa Ijumaa wiki jana kutokana na taarifa za vurugu dhidi ya maafisa wa uchaguzi na wizi wa karatasi za kura. Baada ya uchaguzi, maafisa wa usalama waliwakamata watu 11, wakiwemo viongozi wa upinzani, katika oparesheni iliyohusisha makabiliano ya risasi. Mundubile alitoa taarifa yake yake kuhusu hatua yake akiwa mahali pasipojulikana. Awali alisema alikuwa chini ya ulinzi kutokana na vitisho dhidi ya maisha yake. Kamishina Mkuu wa Umoja wa Mataifa wa Haki za Kibinadamu, Volker Türk, amelaani kukamatwa kwa wanachama wa upinzani na kuitaka serikali kuheshimu haki za wote waliozuiliwa.