This archive report was first published on 9 March 2020.
On March 9, 2020, the Muranga County Assembly agriculture committee recommended the withdrawal of the contentious Avocado Production and Processing Bill 2020. The committee chairperson, Charles Kahoro, observed that two constituencies failed to conduct public participation exercises.
The committee's decision came after a two-day retreat to analyze public views on the bill, which had created a rift between Governor Mwangi wa Iria, a section of MCAs, farmers in Kandara and Gatanga constituencies.
The bill aimed to establish a surveillance unit to ensure policies were followed, but the committee felt it needed to be redrafted to include the views of exporters, processors, nurseries operators, transporters, and cold rooms operators.
According to Kahoro, the bill has been withdrawn to ensure views from the players in the sector, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agriculture Food Authority, are captured.
Muranga County is a leading producer of avocado, with farmers earning Sh5 billion from the commodity last year. The governor's administration has distributed free avocado seedlings estimated at Sh1.6 million in the past two years.
