Farmers who sold their cattle and applied for drought relief subsidies will receive their payments before the end of this financial year, Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare assured the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Ngurare responded to a question from Nudo MP Vetaruhe Kandorozu, who pressed for clarity on the outstanding payments delayed for over two years. "Why have the farmers not received their money for the past two years?" Kandorozu asked. "And as you know, we are going on recess now. We are going to be confronted with these complaints and questions. Can you enlighten the public? When are they going to receive their subsidy money?"

The Prime Minister noted that a significant number of payments have already been made to some farmers. He attributed the delays to a shortfall in funds and the need to verify that only eligible recipients were paid.

"We will do our best because the budget is now approved," Ngurare said. "So, we should be able to access some of the allocated funds, including for Okachiru. We'll make sure that we sort that out."

He also highlighted flaws in the past management process, where the Office of the Prime Minister acted more like a "rubber stamp" after approvals from the line ministry. "The challenge is that you don't really fully appreciate how this whole process came about," he explained. "Now, if you are paying, chances are you might pay your life away because you haven't really had the full appreciation of how this farmer or provider delivered the service, or whether this service was truly provided."