State extends miraa taskforce's term

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett has said the term of the miraa taskforce set up to come up with solutions to problems facing the industry has been extended.

The 14-member team chaired by Geoffrey Nchooro M’mwenda was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta on June 17.

There have been concerns that the unit, which is yet to submit its final report, could be infiltrated by cartels and middlemen.

“We were given the powers to extend their term until their report is complete. I met them and they are doing a wonderful job by creating opportunities for other users of miraa products. The recommendations will help farmers in handling their crop,” Mr Bett said.

He spoke on Friday during the Meru Dairy Union farmers field day at the ASK showground.

The CS said he was confident the team would come up with measures that will turn around the sector.

“Let us give them the opportunity to do their job,” he said, adding that farmers should heed to the governments advice that they grow alternative crops.

On Saturday, leaders from miraa growing areas including Governor Peter Munya called on authorities to investigate the death of George Karicha Thuranira, a member of the taskforce who died under mysterious circumstances.

They also demanded that another member from the area be picked to replace him in order to cater to the community’s interests.

“His death was not normal and we demand that proper investigations be done to ascertain the cause of death,” Mr Mithika Mwenda said during the burial at Antobochiu Primary School in Maua.

At the same time, Mr Bett has warned that the government will not tolerate “big businessmen” who are derailing reforms in the coffee sector aimed at helping small-scale farmers.

“I want to say very clearly that if the government, in trying to uplift the life of a small-scale farmer, steps on the toes of the big businessmen it’s unfortunate and we have no apologies. Our interest is not to continue benefiting the big men but [to ensure] that the farmers have more money in their pockets,” he said.

In a report handed to the President in June, the Task force on Coffee Sub-Sector Reforms proposed promotion of specialty coffee and the turning of Nairobi Coffee Exchange into a public limited company.

The proposal to allow farmers in co-operatives to sell coffee directly at the auction will perhaps be one of the biggest turnaround in over a decade.