Wrangles,
A section of farmers allied to New Gaturi Cooperative Society have disrupted operations at several coffee factories in protest of what they termed as flawed elections of the society’s management officials.
During their protests on Wednesday the farmers claimed that recent elections of officials marred by irregularities and that they lack confidence in the new leadership’s ability to safeguard their interests. Sarah Njeri, a coffee farmer at Gachirago Coffee Factory, stated that the factory would remain closed until the new management officials step down.
She emphasized that farmers affiliated to the factory will not sell their coffee until fresh elections are conducted to choose a management team they can trust. “We have paralyzed operations at Gachirago Coffee factory which is an affiliate of New Gaturi Cooperative Society and no coffee will be sold until we have a new management team which we fully trust,” stressed Njeri.
Jesse Waithaka, Chairman of Geitwa Factory, expressed similar concerns saying that farmers at his factory do not trust the newly elected officials. Waitahaka noted that the new management officials were elected in an exercise that did not follow election regulations observing that some of the new officials served sometimes back when coffee went missing from the factory, raising fear among farmers about the security of their produce.
“Farmers from Geitwa rely on coffee for their livelihood, and their fears about the new management have made them reluctant to pick and deliver their coffee to the factory. Without a change in the management, their lives could be severely impacted,” he explained.
According to Lucy Wachera, a coffee farmer at Wathenge Coffee Factory noted farmers allied to the factory have shut it down until their concerns are heard. Wachera accused the new management of being elected by individuals who were not legitimate members of the cooperative but outsiders.
She claimed these individuals used national identity cards instead of the required coffee holder cards to vote. “Those who elected the new management are not coffee farmers but paid individuals who used their national identity cards to vote. We accused the office of cooperating for allowing people to vote using their identity cards.” she added.
The farmers are demanding immediate action and warned of a mass protest on Monday if their grievances are not addressed. “We are going to demonstrate on Monday if our demands will not have been addressed,” said Mwangi Kimwere, another disgruntled member of the cooperative.
When contacted via phone, King’aiya Gikonyo, the chairman of the new board accused of attaining its position through shambolic elections, said he was in charge of the operations at the society after the local cooperative officer John Nderu presided over official’s election at Mugeka chief’s camp on September 6.
“The former committee snubbed the August 30 elections and that of a special general meeting that was slated on September 6 where the members passed a vote of no confidence and replaced it,” Gikonyo told KNA. He accused the faction opposing the new leadership saying those who are disgruntled in the past had served as officials and by the time they were in charge the society faced numerous challenges.
Majority of farmers, Gikonyo said, are bitter over the mismanagement of the society and non-payment of the coffee warning the former management committee members to stop using the sideshows seeking sympathy. In the recent past several coffee societies within Murang’a county have been rocked by farmers’ protests who demand for transparency and accountability of their leaders.
The farmers called upon the county administration led by governor Irungu Kang’ata to intervene and solve the leadership wrangles which exposed the society at risk of collapse. Two weeks ago, Cooperative Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya disbanded the management board of Kangunu cooperative society in Mathioya after farmers staged demonstrations for several days citing gross misconduct perpetuated by their officials.