Will-Kill Router Now Wants to Feed Kenyans
This is an interview that Will-Kill Router gave on Kenya’s looming food crisis. He seems to have some of his facts memorized (x amount of maize was planted, x amounted is needed, etc, etc) – but at the end of the day, Africa’s inability to achieve food security is mainly due to it’s inability to utilize science and technology which has been shown to exponentially increase crop and food production.
The interviewee asked him about subsidizing farmers (there’s no money now with the 100 member cabinet) and I suppose it might help a bit, but without the science and the research, African countries like Kenya, that are at peace and that should have achieved food security 20 years ago, will not get there. Israel a country surrounded by desert exports food. They are one of the largest exporters of citrus fruits in the world and the Israeli’s did it by embracing Science, research and technology.
The other problem of course is the plight of the urban money-less poor: the people who live in Odinga’s neighborhood of Kibera and in the other slums all around Nairobi (without jobs and without cash, they can’t buy food). There’s plenty of food on the shelves of Nakumatt and Uchumi, but if you don’t have money, you don’t eat. In countries like India, the temples will usually provide at least one free meal a day to the poor masses and this culture of charity, inherent in both the Hindu and Sikh religions prevents starvation in many of India’s large cities. In Brazil as well, the favelas (aka slums) have food because of the benevolence of local charities and local people. This culture of philanthropy does not exist in Kenya or in much of black Africa.
Maybe Will-Kill Router will talk about this in the second part of the interview (because those shelves at Uchumi and Nakumatt are full of all kinds of delicacies). There is food in Kenya, but the people don’t have the money to pay for it.
william ruto definately understands the problems kenyan farmers face, as he showed in the ntv interview. the only issue i’d have with him are his proposed solutions; government to subsidise fertiliser, government to buy maize at good prices, government to build access roads, government to clean your cows, government to resettle idp’s etc etc But not a word as to where the cash will come from! (overtaxed businesses?)
and israel is a desert, not just surrounded by desert.
This guy has a bad record of corruption in the previous government.
I hope the watchdogs are actually watching so that some of these ministers do not embezzle money again – like we all know they have done in the past.
They can talk the talk but do they really walk the talk?
@JOSH…I agree with you 100%
The dude currently is working day and night to have the kenya seed Corporation revert back to his Kaleo thieves of the moi era, if you remember this company used to be a parastal then this Kaleo’s grab it ati it was being privatised with no payments made for it(Russian style). This case is still in court as you read and some of the defendants have been assigned duties back to the ministry of Agriculture under the minister’s directive( Don’t ask how I know- there are eyes and ears everywhere)
He also has a PR team to revamp his image as a high achiever like Michuki and if you notice every day his on TV or the Newspapers everywhere; for instance standard reports ” Ruto Bans sugar exporters” not government bans sugar exporters. You get it?
You watch what happens next from this guy, he is going for RAO full throttle and will use PNU’s stage come 2012 for PM position for himself. I hope Uhuru or Kalonzo don’t fall for it.
Lakini by then he will be filthy rich from the Ministry of Agriculture resources and AFC bank…..Agricultural finance corporation read LOAN’s, then “forgive farmers of their debts”- he’s also a farmer.
Have a corrupt day, will you.
@ke
your attacks on hon RUTO are getting too old.
@Eagleeye
your analysis on ruto positioning himself for 2012 might be right. Ruto seems to be slowly shifting camps, he is now supporting the formation of a grand oposition. dont be shocked when uhuru and ruto gang up on raila come 2012.
Proudkaleo:
You know what it is? every time I listen to Ruto speak, I just become absolutely stunned by him. Here is a man who used his power and money to execute kenyans in cold blood and to violently remove them from their homes and then he turns around and starts talking about food production like he is some kind of angelic technocrat! This man is a killer!
If Uhuru Kenyatta forms an alliance with Ruto, no Kikuyu will ever, ever, vote for him. The Kenyatta’s are not loved by the Kikuyu the way Raila is loved by the Luo.
William Ruto is nothing more than an empty show boater, just like his boss and messiah Raila Odinga. Like I said earlier, there is no reason why an African country like Kenya, which has never had a civil war, should still be unable to feed itself.
Food security in Africa has to be divided into two camps. The countries enmeshed in civil wars have an excuse, but those like Kenya and Tanzania, that have been relatively peaceful have no excuse. I’ve had running arguments with my friends on what is wrong with Africans. Half of us have come to the conclusion that we are simply genetically stupid. The other half cannot bring themselves to admit this, even in the face of overwhelming evidence (e.g. how can a continent of 700 million people remain so poor and backward?). How can a desert country like Israel become a net food exporter, while a country like Kenya with lakes, a coastline, abundant rainfall and fertile land, become an importer?
The honest answer is that Israel is inhabited by European Jews and when these European jews migrated to Israel, they brought with them the European intellect of innovation, technology and science. No such thing exists in Kenya, Tanzania or any of the other African countries that have yet to achieve food security, 50 years after independence.
When I think about now, William Ruto may have an insurmountable task ahead of him and that is, how will he increase food productivity in a continent full of genetically stupid people who so far, have shown no ability towards embracing science and technology. Or, if you don’t like this genetic argument, then I’ll use a different angle: how will he achieve food security in a culture that has so far, shown no hint of it’s prediliction for production?
@ke
i will go with genetically stupid.. u need to give Ruto a break, the guy has no ill intentions against kyuks.. u will be shocked to find out later that Ruto probably saved a lot of kenyan’s lives.. By the way i had the guy talking in the US in 2005, the guy is smarter than you think, especially on matters related to agriculture and food security.. if he is to implement what he talked about at that meeting, kenyan farmers will be able to finally make some money.. i thought kenyatta had unconditional support from central.. what happened???
campaign time is over, its time to get down with the get down. Ruto is the only minister who seem to understand this. Kenyaenterpremeur you sound like broken record ooh ruto is a killer, ruto eat my homework, ruto wants my sister, move on.
Mwangi:
I think you have a short sighted perspective on this. This violence could erupt again in 2012, especially if the planners like Ruto and Raila are still around.
They’re all talking a good game, but the undercurrents of mistrust and anger are still simmering on the surface.