Murang'a coffee farmers decry slow solutions to society woes
A farmer sorts coffee berries. The case over the management of the assets of the society has been pending at the appellate court since 2009. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
They had filed a case before the Court of Appeal almost a decade ago.
But the matter is yet to be resolved.
They have pleaded with the Judiciary to grant them speedy conclusion of the case.
A section of elderly coffee farmers from Murang’a County have decried the slow pace of justice in the handling of a case involving leadership wrangles within their cooperative society.
The members of Samuru Gituto Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ltd are aggrieved that they had filed a case before the Court of Appeal almost a decade ago but the matter is yet to be resolved.
ASSETS MANAGEMENT
The case over the management of the assets of the society has been pending at the appellate court since 2009.
Last week, the case was also scheduled for hearing and the elderly men and women travelled from their respective homes to come and have their day in court but the case equally failed to proceed because one judge in the bench allocated to hear their case, was not sitting.
Led by Mzee George Kuria, the ageing members, mostly in their sunset days, and who are currently engraved in leadership wrangles with some of the officials, have pleaded with the Judiciary to grant them speedy conclusion of the case.
“We are elderly people with limited means and spend a lot coming to court. We would plead with the Judiciary to have the matter resolved in our lifetime,” Mzee Kuria.
CONTESTED ELECTION
Initially, the society had a land parcel measuring 580 acres but was partly sold to settle a debt incurred by the society.
They were left with approximately 301 acres in the year 2005, when the government took over all its debts. The society owed Sh15 million but this was later written off by the government.
The society has not known peace following a contested election of officials in June 2005, with ousted officials claiming the elections were not conducted procedurally.
The elderly persons want the matter resolved so that those who will be granted favourable judgment can embark on championing the affairs of the society.
