MPs up in arms over late payments to Nyeri coffee farmers
What you need to know:
- Co-operative Coffee Exporters (KCCE). Can you confirm if any of those stocks belong to any Nyeri County society, and if so which societies and in what volumes,” the MPs said in the letter.
- KCCE managing director Lucy Murumba said by telephone that the farmers would be paid this week.
Members of Parliament from Nyeri have questioned the manner in which the county government has handled the sale of coffee.
In a letter to the coffee director at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority, Mr Grenville Kiplimo, the MPs have requested for an investigation into the quantity of coffee sold from the county so far and the reason why farmers are yet to be paid for their deliveries.
“As per the Coffee Act, proceeds of sales must be remitted to farmers within 14 days...Most of the coffee has been sold at the auction and proceeds should by now have been remitted to farmers. Can you confirm when farmers in Nyeri were paid,” the letter said.
The MPs, who included Mr Ndung’u Gethenji, of Tetu, Ms Mary Wambui, of Othaya, Mr Weru Kinyua of Mathira and Ms Esther Murugi, of Nyeri Town, said the delays in paying farmers had caused them untold suffering.
“Over 35,000 bags of clean coffee are currently being held at the Kenya Planters’ Co-operative Union, Dandora complex, by Kenya Co-operative Coffee Exporters (KCCE). Can you confirm if any of those stocks belong to any Nyeri County society, and if so which societies and in what volumes,” the MPs said in the letter.
KCCE managing director Lucy Murumba said by telephone that the farmers would be paid this week.
“Talk to me next week after I pay the farmers. We are aware there are rumours going on about Nyeri coffee, but we are within the agreements made to farmers,” Ms Murumba said.
Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua early in the year ordered that coffee from the county be sold through the KPCU milling plant as a means of dismantling cartels.
