Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya on Thursday 5 June, 2025 appeared before the Senate Agriculture Committee to defend his ambitious maize seed distribution program.
Natembeya was required to respond to alleged procurement irregularities, favoritism, and the integrity of the entire process meant to achieve his “Fukuza Njaa” initiative.
In a drama-filled hearing, the governor said he appeared before the committee not just as a a county boss but also as a Bukusu man to counter what he described as a choreographed charade to discredit his administration.
“You (David Wakoli, Bungoma Senator) said you were coming to crucify me like Jesus Christ, but I have come here to face this head-on because justice must not only be done, but also seen to be done,” he stated.
The Senate’s committee scrutinized concerns about inflated costs, breach of procurement procedures, missing list of beneficiaries and fairness in vetting.
Natembeya dismissed the concerns as unfounded, insisting that his administration followed due process and made decisions aligned with both county laws and public procurement regulations.
Tender for Trans Nzoia maize seed programme
The Governor revealed that the tender for maize seeds was advertised publicly through the Daily Nation on January 27, 2025, and listed on several official government portals.
Three companies—Kenya Seed Company Ltd., Relief Line Kenya Ltd, and Western Seed Company—submitted bids.
The final supplier was chosen through a three-tier evaluation process.
“We procured 256,029 packets of hybrid maize seed at KSh 420 per 2 kg packet revised from an earlier budget estimate of KSh 690 based on market rates. This allowed us to support more farmers, up from 145,700 initially planned,” said Natembeya.
Responding to the committee’s vetting and verification of beneficiaries concern, Natembeya stated that the programme that entered it’s second test in 2025 targeted small-scale farmers with less than 0.2 acres of land, prioritizing widows, people with disabilities, the elderly, and the youth.
He tabled appointment letters, eligibility criteria, and monitoring documents, but acknowledged that full ward-level files with minutes and beneficiary lists were not initially included due to short notice.
“These files are in the vehicle. We can bring them. We were only given seven days to prepare and were not told what documents to carry,” he added.
Other Senators including Mohamed Abass Sheikh(Wajir) supported the Natembeya’s call for fairness and more time.
“If indeed the chair made prejudicial comments, that undermines this entire process, then justice must be fair and seen to be fair,” he said.
Natembeya accuses Bungoma Senator of bias
He accused the committee chair of publicly declaring him guilty even before the hearing began, referencing a viral clip in which the chair, Bungoma Senator, allegedly compared the governor’s impending grilling to the biblical crucifixion.
“If a magistrate made such comments in public, they’d have to recuse themselves. Why is this any different?” Natembeya asked.
The exchange prompted a temporary adjournment as senators debated whether to allow the governor more time or continue under a new interim chair, Professor Tom Ojienda (Kisumu).
“We will proceed but governor, once I take over, you must be ready to answer any and all questions,” Prof. Ojienda said.
The initiative was budgeted for in the county’s 2024/25 budget where a total of KSh100.5 million was allocated for provision of certified seeds to needy farmers.
Natembeya boldly invited the Senators for a site visit to dispell outstanding doubts. He offered to facilitate the site visit.
Senator Ojienda directed Natembeya to submit signed budget approvals from the County Assembly, beneficiaries list from all the 25 wards, clear, paginated, and legible copies of all documents and any follow-up monitoring and evaluation reports
He also indicated the committee may visit Trans-Nzoia for a ground truth assessment.
Natembeya and his team are expected to appear before the committee on 25 June, 2025 for final hearing.
