Jubilee politician Pauline Njoroge has expressed concern over the government’s plan to privatise some state corporations, including the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). Pauline Njoroge was worried that the privatisation of the Kenya Seed Company could threaten the safety of indigenous seeds. Kenya Seed Company, lined up for sale The vocal politician was concerned that some of those corporations lined up for sale were historical and vital to the national heritage. He termed the revival of the privatisation programme sinister and endangering the nation, adding to the voices of many Kenyans who have opposed the move. “The privatisation of state corporations is ill-advised and sinister. Many Kenyans are concerned about the sale of KICC because that is an outrageous move, but there are other institutions that we should be concerned about,” Njoroge posted on Facebook. Njoroge observed that surrendering an essential organisation like the Kenya Seed Company to private entities could be catastrophic to the preservation of the country’s indigenous seeds and foods. She argued that surrendering the corporation to private hands when there was a push and pull about introducing genetically modified foods was an equally outrageous and dangerous move. Is GMO acceptable in Kenya? “Take, for instance, the Kenya Seed Company and the foreign powers’ angle in sponsoring the introduction of GMOs and repressive laws against the use of indigenous seeds. The company has a lot of other assets, like land, that will be sold along with it. R”But for me, it is the idea of disposing of a strategic national asset that the founding fathers set up—surrendering the national seed bank, the intellectual property, the variety of seeds and biodiversity, and the science—that is most surprising for a country that aims to be self-sufficient in food production and is desirous of controlling its own destiny,” argued Njoroge. Privatisation of Kenya Seed Company because Njoroge strongly opposed the sale of Kenya Seed Company because it was equivalent to selling the country’s flora. “After we sell Kenya Seed, the only thing we shall be left with is our gene pool, but I feel that tool will be privatised. Once privatised, Kenya will be firmly under the grip of global GMO crooks, and our food security will be forever compromised. The poor will no longer produce food unless they use certified seeds from the profiteers,” submitted Njoroge. Her concern comes just a day after Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah accused President William Ruto of surrendering his power to champion Kenya’s interests to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
by Michael Ollinga Oruko