The glitter of the ‘Black Gold’, as central Kenya coffee farmers used to refer to the once revered cash crop in the region, seems to be fast fading despite the much-touted reforms aimed at revamping the sector.
Disillusioned farmers have now told leaders led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to “wake up and smell the coffee”, warning the continued neglect of the crop will affect the area residents.
This even as President William Ruto tasked his deputy to spearhead reforms in the cash crop growing sector.
Despite voting for the Kenya Kwanza government, farmers in Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Murang'a counties, the main small-scale coffee growing areas, farmers have resorted to demonstrations and picketing, now commonplace, to voice their grievances over “disappointing,” and dwindling payment rates for their crop.
Others are complaining about delayed payments and unexplained deductions from their dues or alleged outright theft of their earnings by managers of their respective societies.
The recent events across the region point to a gathering storm, suggesting that the envisaged reforms are yet to take root, or are just ineffective, as things begin to go south for the crop that is the mainstay of the local economy.
Revamping of the coffee sector was a key campaign pledge by President Ruto and soon after assuming office, he tasked his deputy to lead and oversee public reforms, including in the coffee, tea and milk sub-sectors. Hoping for better things, on June 10, 2024, the government announced that Sh6.8 billion debt owed to coffee societies would be waived, but the process is yet to start.
While addressing coffee farmers in Maragua, Murang'a County, in early August, the DP said the government will not relent in the ongoing sector reforms and that more will be done to boost income in the coffee industry with the government considering a waiver of debts as part of a range of solutions to their financial challenges.
This even as he claimed that the fruits of coffee reforms are already being enjoyed, adding that the government has defeated the cartels and unscrupulous brokers that had infiltrated the coffee sub-sector.
“I was instructed by President William Ruto to lead the reforms and we are doing well. We have cornered and defeated the cartels and export earnings have doubled in the last year," he said.
However, in the past two months, farmers across the region disillusioned by their respective cooperative society officials and brokers who they accuse of ripping them off do not seem to agree with the DP's assertion and have taken to the streets protesting continuing exploitation.
Last week focus was in the DP's own backyard of Mathira where farmers from different coffee societies took to the streets to express displeasure over the deteriorating situation.
Angry farmers affiliated to Baricho Coffee Farmer’s Society with over 5,000 members barricaded the busy Karatina-Nairobi highway protesting poor payment for their crop as well as "unexplained" deductions of the dues from last season's earnings.
Farmers said they felt shortchanged by the government which had a campaign promise of a minimum guaranteed price of Sh100 per kilo of cherry delivered to the factories. Some complained that they are yet to receive any payment despite several assurances by society management.
Farmers line up for complimentary coffee at Kiandu Coffee Factory in Nyeri County on June 12, 2024. Due to low income from coffee, many farmers are unable to consume their own produce once it is processed. Instead, they prioritise spending their money on agricultural inputs and basic needs like food, shelter, and education.
Photo credit: Joseph Kanyi | Nation Media Group
The society is said to be reeling under heavy debts amounting to close to Sh300 million which farmers claim was borrowed under unclear circumstances.
The society chairman James Giting'a acknowledged there was some "misunderstanding" within the society regarding the payment, but claimed some of the deducted amounts were loans taken by farmers during the previous season.
Mr Giting'a also acknowledged that the society was struggling to pay debts hence the current crisis.
“It is unfortunate we are here because of someone's mistake, I have had frequent trips to Nairobi to try and sort out the mess because the problem is in the auction but all is not lost and I hope we shall overcome this,” he said.
Mr Patrick Kariuki, a farmer said: “We feel this government played us, this is not what we were expecting, some of us had secured loans in the hope that we will get enough money to repay but now we are in a fix.”
In the neighbouring Ndaroini Farmers’ Society, still in Mathira, the situation was the same with farmers barricading roads as they complained that they received Sh60 yet they expected more than Sh100 per kilo from a private coffee marketing firm which they entered into an arrangement to sell their produce under the direct sales system.
It was the same situation at Tekangu Farmer’s Society where coffee growers complained of dwindling earnings from their crop. In Mathira North Cooperative Society comprising five coffee factories that virtually collapsed five years ago, frustrated farmers have been forced to hawk cherry to brokers who buy it at throw-away farm gate prices.
The farmers complained that they received as low as Sh60 per kilo which was later affected by some “unexplained deductions”.
In Kirinyaga County, farmers are in a similar situation. On July 7, angry coffee farmers from Kibirigwi and Ngugi-ini factories in Ndia sub-County, took to the streets to protest over poor pay.
Kirinyaga Senator James Murango and Kirinyaga woman representative Jane Njeri joined farmers in condemning the poor pay rates and called for a forensic audit.
In Murang’a County, farmers affiliated to New Njora, Kamugi and Gatune coffee factories claim that produce sold between March and September last year has not been paid after the proceeds were allegedly hoarded by a financial institution.
The farmers accused their management committee of remaining silent after they delivered 270,000 kilogrammes of coffee for processing. They called for the dissolution of the society management committee over the delayed payment.
Farmers affiliated with Muthithi Co-operative Society in Kigumo, have also protested the delay by their management to remit their payment. The society management is accused of taking a loan without farmers’ consent, leading to the withholding of the proceeds.
The dwindling returns for coffee in parts of central Kenya have frustrated farmers, some of who have started uprooting the crop.
However, things are brighter in parts of Meru County where farmers say payment for the produce has improved significantly.
Jackson Kinoti, a farmer who delivers his cherry to Mukiria Coffee factory in Imenti Central said last season they were paid at a rate of Sh69 a kilo up from Sh50 the previous season.
“We expect that the rates for the season starting in October for the main crop will be even better. But the main challenge currently remains production which is still low,” Mr Kinoti said in an interview.
In June last year, the DP convened a high-level three-day stakeholder’s conference on coffee reforms in Meru County to discuss obstacles hindering the progress of the sub-sector and provide practicable solutions to ensure its success.
The summit brought together key stakeholders in the coffee sector, including farmers, for deliberations on long-term reforms of reviving the once highly profitable crop with Mr Gachagua saying coffee farmers had been neglected for a long time as middlemen enjoyed their sweat.
At the time, Mr Gachagua gave a timeline of one year “and you will see things work”.
“Our main problem is cartels that are hindering the development of our crop. I assure you we will deal with them,” said the DP.
