Farmers call on Uhuru to act against coffee cartels

Coffee farmers in Nyeri County have threatened to boycott harvesting their crop if the President does not end corruption and break up cartels in the sector as exposed by the Daily Nation.

The farmers, in a two-page letter, on Monday petitioned President Uhuru Kenyatta to act before January 15, when they are expected to hold a national meeting of farmers to endorse their plan.

“It is time the President saved this sector which has played a major role towards agriculture and boosting of the country’s economy,” they said.

Apart from boycotting harvesting coffee, they also said they would stop cultivating the crop.

Nyeri County expects to harvest more than 60 million kilograms of coffee this year, 10 million kilograms more than last season.

The farmers, who held a meeting in Karatina town, said they were shocked by the exposé in the Daily Nation and now want the President to step in.

They threatened to ask all coffee farmers in the country to boycott harvesting and cultivating coffee if the President fails to address the matter urgently.

“We are very happy and sad at the same time. First, we are happy and really appreciate what the Daily Nation has exposed to us framers. We were in the dark for a long time. We are, however, sad because we have realised why our parents died of poverty,” said Mr Harrison Munyi, one of the meeting organisers.

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Mr Munyi said President Kenyatta, while taking oath of office, vowed to protect the Constitution and the people of Kenya.

He said: “It’s time he does what he promised to do by taking quick measures to make sure our money that was swindled is returned.”

The more than 30 coffee farmers who held a closed door meeting said they had deliberated on some of the issues they would table in the national coffee farmers meeting that will be held in Murang’a town on January 15.

“In short, we want all those who are responsible for looting farmers’ monies to be held responsible and the President to make sure our monies and assets are returned,” Mr Munyi added.

The farmers expressed disappointment in the current leaders in coffee societies noting that they are also part of the cartels.

“If we can be selling our coffee directly, without the involvement of middlemen, I am sure we will earn our due,” said Mr Muriuki Karimi.

The farmers also pointed fingers at millers whom they accused of ‘killing’ the sector moderately.

At the same time, the coffee farmers who are demanding the return of the money and assets lost said they had received numerous threatening messages from unknown numbers.