Influential content creator Amerix has sharply criticised nominated Senator Hamida Ali Kibwana over her support for the Nuts and Oil Crops Development Bill, 2023.
The bill, allegedly backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has sparked concerns among rural farmers and activists, who believe it threatens the livelihoods of those in Kenya’s coastal region.
“The IMF-funded Nuts and Oil Crops Development Bill, 2023, will criminalize the growth and sale of nuts and oils by rural farmers.
“Any rural farmer found planting or selling nuts without the authority of The County Government will be penalized. She pretends to be part of the economic liberation struggle, yet she is in the pockets of the IMF, persecuting rural farmers of the coastal region,” Amerix posted on X.
Amerix did not mince his words, branding Senator Hamida a “pretentious wanker” and accusing her of betraying the economic interests of the very people she claims to represent.
Nominated Senator Hon.Hamida Ali Kibwana
According to Amerix, the bill, if passed, would criminalise the cultivation and sale of nuts and oil crops by rural farmers unless they receive explicit authorisation from county authorities.
The coastal region of Kenya is economically significant, with its primary industries including agriculture, mining, and transportation. Key agricultural products such as coconut, cashew nuts, macadamia, palm, sesame, and bambara nuts are vital to the region’s economy.
Furthermore, the region is rich in minerals, including titanium, gold, niobium, cobalt, and iron. However, despite this wealth, the narrative that tourism is the region’s primary economic pillar persists—an idea that Amerix dismisses as a smokescreen used by corrupt officials and foreign entities to exploit local resources.
Senator Hamida Ali Kibwana speaking during a past meeting
Amerix argues that the proposed legislation is part of a broader strategy to perpetuate poverty in the coastal region. He claims that local politicians, including Senator Hamida, are working in collusion with international financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. This, he suggests, is designed to keep the local population impoverished and dependent, allowing foreign companies to exploit the region’s wealth with minimal resistance.
The content creator further alleges that the region’s poverty is artificially maintained, allowing foreign and domestic elites to continue looting local resources while offering minimal benefits to the local population. He contends that local politicians prefer to keep the population sedated with drugs and misinformation, ensuring they remain passive in the face of exploitation.
The Nuts and Oil Crops Development Bill, 2023, remains a contentious issue, with its proponents arguing that it will streamline and regulate the industry, while critics, like Amerix, view it as a tool of oppression that favours the interests of a few at the expense of the many. The debate continues as the bill moves forward in the legislative process.
