Anne Waiguru rejects bill banning raw coffee export
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru delivers a keynote address during a forum organised by the Kenya Properties Developers Association at Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi. She is championing for the rights of coffee farmers. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Waiguru noted that problems in the coffee sector are brought about by cartels and lack of a wider market.
- Waiguru cautioned MPs against passing the bill into law without consulting stakeholders.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has led MPs and farmers in opposing a bill by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria that seeks to ban exportation of coffee beans to international markets.
Speaking in Gichugu constituency, Governor Waiguru said the proposed ban is aimed at killing the industry and does not represent their wish.
“The problem facing the coffee sector is lack of a market. We can process our own coffee and yet there is no one willing to buy it,” she said, adding that the country should focus on finding buyers first.
She noted that problems in the coffee sector are not brought about by the exportation of coffee to overseas countries but by cartels and lack of a wider market.
Though National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has given Mr Kuria the greenlight on the amendments, Ms Waiguru cautioned the MPs against passing it into law without consulting stakeholders.
“Before passing the bill into law, I urge the National Assembly to consult with the farmers who are in a better position to explain the problems they endure,” she noted.
Mr Kuria has proposed amendments to the Crop Act that will require exporters to process, pack and brand Kenyan coffee before shipping.
