Police point accusing fingers at factory managers over Nyeri coffee theft

Farmers at Kagere Coffee Factory in Othaya weigh coffee parchment as they embarked on a counting exercise following the weekend theft where over 200 bags stolen. Police are now accusing managers of factories in Nyeri of refusing to work with them to stem increasing cases of coffee theft in the county. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Police will make it mandatory for all factories to provide records of all coffee delivered to them by farmers.
  • Police are also carrying out investigations to establish the quantity of coffee in each of factory’s stores.
  • By September 2015, thieves had stolen coffee worth Sh100 million from various factories.
  • There have been reports that some factory managers are colluding with thieves to steal coffee from their stores.

Police are now accusing managers of factories in Nyeri of refusing to work with them to stem increasing cases of coffee theft in the county.

County police boss Eunice Kihiko said they had agreed that the managers would alert them whenever there was coffee in their stores so that armed officers are assigned to guard the factories but the officials appeared disinterested.

“Factory managers have failed to co-operate with the police to fight the crime. It is our mandate to secure people and property in the county and we will do whatever it takes to end theft of coffee,” Ms Kihiko told the Nation.

She wants the managers to provide the police with information that will help them determine how many officers should be sent to their factories.

“We will not allow anyone to transport coffee without first recording with us the details of their consignments,” Ms Kihiko added.

And now, coffee factories will be required to share records of the produce with the police without fail.

PROVIDE RECORDS

Consequently, police will make it mandatory for all factories to provide records of all coffee delivered to them by farmers.

Security officials say this will speed up ongoing investigations on coffee thefts in the region.

Police are also carrying out investigations to establish the quantity of coffee in each of factory’s stores.

Available coffee will then be crosschecked against records of the coffee that farmers have delivered to the factories.

“We suspect foul play and we believe some thefts are faked,” said Ms Kihiko.

The exercise is being conducted under heavy police watch and is expected to spread to all factories.

Nyeri has been rocked with cases of coffee theft. By September 2015, thieves had stolen coffee worth Sh100 million from various factories.

There have been reports that some factory managers are colluding with thieves to steal coffee from their stores.

In 2015, one factory, Ndima-ini, lost 40 bags in one night.