Governor calls for end to cash transactions in coffee societies
By Peter Ochieng
Bungoma governor Kenneth Lusaka on Monday called for an urgent end to cash transactions in coffee cooperative societies, so as to halt what he termed as fictitious and dubious dealings.
Speaking at Musese coffee mill in Chwele, the county chief recalled a recent incident where Nakoyonzo coffee factory reportedly lost Sh25 million, after officials withdrew cash that was subsequently stolen.
"Up to date, the farmers who delivered their coffee have never been paid," Lusaka stated.
He suggested that the theft was an "inside job disguised as a robbery."
As such, the governor proposes that coffee proceeds be directly deposited into farmers' bank accounts, or the more convenient M-pesa mobile money accounts.
According to the former Senate Speaker, infighting is rife within coffee societies, because "everyone is fighting to get corrupt money."
He expressed his confidence that coffee farming, boosted by continued county-level support at the grassroots, can liberate locals from poverty.
"I know we grow other crops here for food, but we want to assure you that with coffee, we can bid poverty goodbye," he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Patrick Kiburi Kilemi, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, State Department for Cooperatives.
Kilemi reaffirmed the government's commitment to coffee reforms that protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen.
"We have already tabled a bill to address this issue," he announced.
Bungoma ranks among the top six coffee-producing counties in Kenya, alongside the likes of Kiambu, Murang'a, Embu, Nyeri and Kirinyaga.
Data indicates that coffee contributes about 1 percent to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 8 percent of the total agricultural export earnings and up to 30 percent of the total labour force employed in agriculture.
Kenya is primarily producer of washed Arabica coffee, accountig for less than 1 percent of the total world production.
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