The Mountain Journal
A row is brewing between National Coffee Cooperative Union (NACC) and Kiambu County Government over licensing of two coffee mills.
NACC representing unions in the coffee growing counties accuse the Kiambu county for breaching the spirit of the coffee reforms through issuing milling licenses to Sasini and Kofinaf coffee mills despite being associated with licensed coffee buyers.
The unions in a protest letter accuse the Kimani Wamatangi led government for contravening coffee regulations 2019.
Photo/Murang’a Coffee Mill which was commissioned last week at Ikundu Farm in Maragua by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
NACC CEO Festus Bett in a letter dated March 28, seeks for investigations into how the private coffee millers obtained the licenses calling for their suspension by Agriculture Food Authority (AFA)
Kiambu produces an average of 9.8 million metric tonnes of coffee annually.
Bett points an accusing finger at the county government over licensing of the two commercial millers alleging the move is direct contravention of the Crops Coffee General Regulations 2019.
They also question how Eldoret CMS Mills in Uasin Gishu obtained a commercial milling license from Uasin Gishu County Government while they are affiliated to C.Dorman Ltd already licensed by AFA as coffee buyer.
The unions’ informs the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and Cooperative Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui that the two are associated with firms that buy coffee at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE).
Sasini Mill is affiliated to Sasini (K) LTD, and Kofinaf Company Limited mill is affiliated to Coffee Management Services (CMS) and C.Dorman Limited,” read part of a letter.
But Kenya Coffee Producer Association chairman Peter Gikonyo defends the licensing of the mills, accusing the union of playing politics at the expense of the service delivery.
Gikonyo said the move to license the four coffee mills in Kiambu followed the passionate demand by farmers.
“There are tonnes of coffee that are not milled, we are aware that the mills owned by the farmers have low capacity to mill the tonnes of coffee in the hands of the growers in the 33 counties,” said Gikonyo.
In an interview, Gikonyo said the union leaders felt threatened over the entry of the three commercial millers in Uasin Gishu and Kiambu instead of embracing competitions.
Gatagua Farmers Cooperative Society Chairman Mr Harrison Chege says licensing of more millers is to the advantage of the growers.
Many of the mills owned by the unions, Chege says are mere shells without a capacity to deal with the present production
“It is practical that the cooperative movement led mills and brokerage firms fear the facing competition. The four were supposed to be issued with licenses in December last year , to save the farmers from the agony,” said Chege.
Kiambu’s Head of Public Service Mr Peter Ndegwa and Crops and Production Officer Mr Benson Njoroge handed over the milling licenses to the representatives of the milling agents before the union unions were mobilised to launch opposition.
The millers were directed by the Kiambu Government they operate within the set regulations, with warning that those who will float them will face dire consequences.
Mr. Njoroge, the crops officer, said that coffee farmers across the county will be well served by the licensed millers as the procedure demands.
“The locations of the mills are evenly distributed in the coffee-growing areas and required to work within the rules of the permits, by complying with the laid-down regulations ,”said the chief officer.
The licensing of the four millers followed the intense pressure exerted to the Governor Kimani Wamatangi administration, by the Kenya Coffee Producers Association affiliates in Kiambu.
This after the farmers bitterly decried high cost of transporting their coffee to the licensed millers in Nairobi and Thika.
Kiambu produces an average of 9.8 million metric tonnes of coffee annually.
Kenya produces 45 million metric tonnes of coffee annually.
The DP last week commissioned Murang’a Coffee Mill in Ikundu farm with a milling capacity of 1.2 tonnes per hour.
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