MP roots for police unit to guard coffee

The nullification and withdrawal of coffee millers’ licenses in some counties has created bottlenecks for better coffee prices realised by farmers in Kenya, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba (pictured) has claimed.

This even as Wamuchomba urged the government to establish the anti-coffee theft police unit to guard against the theft of coffee that has been rampant in recent years. “There is need to establish a special police unit to safeguard the coffee at the factory and cooperatives level,” said Wamuchomba.

Dormant trading

Yesterday, Wamuchomba opened the lid on the suffering of coffee farmers across the country, saying they have not been paid due to the dormant trading at the Nairobi Auction. 

“There’s a concern that the farmers will have to wait longer for the auction to be reopened and their coffee traded. This will obviously interfere with the farmer’s cash flow an issue that may affect the high seasons produce in November this year,” said Wamuchomba.

The Githunguri lawmaker said that withdrawal of marketing licenses for some companies has created a window that has interfered with the activities around Auction which has since gone dormant.

This means that farmers are not trading in coffee since June hence depriving Kenya the much-needed foreign exchange.