WAKOLI-LED SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE STORMS BUNGOMA OVER FARMING WOES: LUSAKA, MCAs, FARMERS PUT ON NOTICE

EoK Reports | Bungoma 

Bungoma Senator, Hon. Wafula Wakoli 

The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, under the chairmanship of Bungoma Senator David Wafula Wakoli, on Saturday launched a high-powered oversight mission to Bungoma County, seeking answers on mounting agricultural challenges crippling the region’s economic backbone.

In a show of legislative might and sectoral urgency, the Committee held a closed-door session with Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka and Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) serving on the Agriculture Committee. Also in attendance was the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, who faced tough questions on the implementation and impact of key agricultural programs in the county.

Senator Wakoli emphasized the committee’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and ensuring that every coin allocated to agricultural development translates to tangible benefits for the farmers.

“We are here to listen, to engage, and to act. Bungoma must not be left behind. Agriculture is the spine of this region,” said Senator Wakoli.

Grievances Flow from the Ground

The Committee’s field engagements revealed a long list of woes from grassroots farmers, especially in Kaptama, Sirisia, and Mt. Elgon sub-counties. Farmers decried:

• Exorbitant cost of animal and poultry feeds, which is crippling smallholder farming.
• Market exploitation, with coffee and dairy farmers citing unstable and low pricing.
• Exclusion from the government’s fertilizer subsidy program, which overwhelmingly favors maize growers, leaving out key cash crop farmers like those in coffee.
• Dysfunctional cooperative societies, where poor management has diminished farmer trust.
• Rampant middlemen exploitation and cross-border smuggling of farm produce into Uganda, particularly coffee, as theft of harvested beans escalates.
• Inadequate cold storage, with milk and coffee coolers either overstretched or absent.
• Lack of robust extension services, as many farmers reported minimal contact with agricultural officers.

“How can a farmer grow when the cooperative is looting, the middleman is exploiting, and the government officer is missing in action?” one agitated coffee farmer asked the committee during a stop in Chesikaki.

Field Visits Reveal Stark Realities. Among the key sites visited were:

Kaptama Dairy Cooperative Society – Milk Cooling Plant

Kaptama and Kibisi Coffee Factories

Menu Coffee Factory in Sirisia

Chesikaki Coffee Factory

These stops laid bare the logistical and structural bottlenecks stifling agricultural potential in the region.

A Call for Action:

The Senate Committee issued a stern directive to the Bungoma County Assembly: intensify oversight, demand accountability, and ensure the equitable rollout of agriculture-based interventions.

“These issues are no longer whispers—they are now thunderous calls. We shall present them to the Senate and push for urgent interventions,” Senator Wakoli pledged.

Governor Lusaka assured the committee of his administration’s willingness to work with national legislative organs to unlock Bungoma’s full agricultural potential.

The Committee is expected to compile a detailed report and propose legislative amendments or national budgetary reallocations that will directly address the raised concerns.

This visit sends a strong signal to counties: agricultural underperformance will no longer go unchecked, and oversight is no longer a formality—it is a call to action.

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