Kenyan Fertilizer manufacturers SBL has reacted to a statement made by Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka in a post-Mashujaa Day press conference in which he castigated President William Ruto’s directives terming them premature and unconstitutional.
While speaking to the media, Kalonzo Musyoka poked holes into William Ruto’s maiden Mashujaa Day speech, questioning Ruto’s rationale in making some of the declarations he announced to the public including the disbanding of a special unit within the DCI among other directives.
According to the Azimio La Umoja stalwart, President William Ruto should have consulted his cabinet before coming up with some of the decisions he had made, stating that, while Ruto’s cabinet was still unformed (as the proposed members are still being vetted by Parliament) most of Ruto’s declarations lacked a constitutional merit.
Among the things he pointed out was William Ruto’s supposed dalliance with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu in exporting fertilizer in the nation.
While addressing members of the press, Kalonzo asked, “Who decided that we can manufacture fertilizers jointly with a neighbouring country?”
This seems to have been prompted by widespread media reports of a partnership between Kenya and Tanzania in supplying affordable fertilizers in the agricultural nation.
The Kenya Times understands SBL Kenya, under the stewardship of Mr. Joe Kariuki, who is the company CEO, has been making inroads into some of Tanzania’s remotest farming districts, selling affordable fertilizer across towns and divisions, with the help and blessing of Tanzania’s largest fertilizer company, TFC (Tanzania Fertilizer Company).
SBL’s actions have attracted the attention of some of Tanzania’s biggest media houses.
In a response to Mr. Musyoka, SBL minced no words telling off the Wiper Leader and maintaining that private Kenyan companies needed no Parliamentary approval before branching out to fellow East African nations.
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“Our attention has been drawn to tasteless and disturbing reports from Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka in which he castigated Kenya’s efforts to bridge the economic gap with neighbouring nations and creating an environment of fruitful business association. In his address, Kalonzo attacked President Ruto’s initiatives and, while at it, dragged our company through the mud by maliciously calling out our partnership with Tanzania’s TFC in exporting affordable fertilizer to our Bongo brothers,” read part of the statement.
“We are deeply disappointed and hurt by the sentiments attributed to the Honourable former Vice President. Kalonzo out to know that, with the new administration, everything is possible. In the spirit of furthering the East African community, no company should be barred from branching out and reaching out to neighbouring countries and business should not be stopped by either a parliamentary directive or a constitutional blockade. SBL is a private company and shall remain so. We therefore ask Mr. Musyoka to renounce his words and, instead, support and encourage inter-national trade. ” the statement read.
As from mid-October, SBL has been heavily moving into Tanzania, providing cheaper farming solutions to millions of farmers, selling cheaper fertilizer and working with the Tanzanian Government to further better the TZ farm produce.
