Controversial Shamba System Remarks

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua blamed the media, saying he was misquoted while giving a speech on the Shamba System.
“We want to tell the media campaigns are over. Report us objectively. When I was in Baringo, I did announce to the people of Kenya that we have a serious program on afforestation. There is a lot of land within the forest reserve that has been earmarked for tree planting and we are going to mobilize farmers in the old spirit to assist us to plant new trees in those areas that have no trees and take care of them as they farm until the trees are of age” Gachagua defended his sentiments during the official opening of the 2022 Nairobi International Trade Fair that took place on Wednesday.
“So when you twist it that we have said we are going to bring the farmers to come and farm in the forest that is in bad taste.” he added.
During the burial of the Baringo Deputy Governor, the DP said that in the forest, there was a Shamba system where citizens were given land to grow maize and weed the trees; once the trees had risen, they vacated.
He told the citizens that the government was theirs; therefore, they issued an order for the citizens to be allowed to plough the forests to increase food production.
He added that there is no need to deny people the chance to grow crops in those areas instead of importing maize.