Management committees running the various coffee co-operative societies in the Ukambani region have been cautioned against mismanagement and plunder of farmers’ cash from the coffee proceeds.

Cooperative Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparaya said on Thursday, June 12, 2025, that the rampant reports of numerous cooperative societies in the constituency sinking into huge debts from financial institutions were worrying.

The CS who addressed the coffee farmers at Tala town in Machakos County, said many residents had been condemned to poverty due to corruption and mismanagement of the coffee societies.

“The majority of our farmers are wallowing in poverty because of deliberate mistakes of a criminal nature perpetuated by the officials of coffee societies. We are putting on notice the management committees of all the coffee societies that firm legal action will be taken against those who run down these societies,” said Oparanya.

Citing the example of some Farmers’ Cooperative Societies in some counties where members recently staged demonstrations over alleged misappropriation of funds by former management committees, the CS warned that malpractices in the cooperative sector had contributed to a drop in coffee production and subsequent accumulation of debts from lenders.

“Some management committees are responsible for the mess in the coffee societies because they engage in irregular borrowing without the knowledge of members,” he warned.

Machakos deputy governor Francis Mwangangi also appealed to CS Oparanya for a debt waiver owed to coffee cooperative societies in Machakos County.

He said farmers in the region needed the waiver in order to start on a clean slate.

The deputy governor said the debt was small compared to what the national government had waived to farmers in other regions across the country.

“I am appealing to the national government to consider extending debt waiver to our coffee farmers in my county, as it happened to sugar and tea farmers in other parts of the country,” he added.

Key coffee producers in the county include Machakos, Kangundo, Kwa Matingi and Kathiani Sub-Counties, which also produce substantial coffee.

Abandoned coffee

Peter Kamau, another resident, said this centre would have helped in the preservation of the cultural practices in the community.

He however says the future generations might have not somewhere to learn if no action is taken to preserve the centre.

“Students used to come here to learn about the origin of the Kikuyu community and their practices, but that is long gone,” he said.