Coffee
Farmers from Kangunu coffee co-operative society in Mathioya, Murang’a, were up in arms with goons Wielding sticks as they took to the streets in protest against poor management of the society.
The farmers who decried mismanagement of the society say it has been rocked by scandals and the management has resulted in intimidation instead of addressing their grievances.
The farmers said their grievances began in 2017 when the co-operative started deducting five percent from each farmer as contribution towards Kangunu sacco insisting they had not approved the formation of the Sacco and neither had they given the Sacco’s leadership consent to deduct money from their payments.
Rebecca Wambui, a farmer, stated that while they were protesting to air their grievances, the society’s managers hired goons to chase them away. “They use our money to hire armed youths so that we don’t meet and speak out against them. We want them out,” she said.
According to her, this mismanagement has resulted in some members hawking their coffee to the neighboring societies in Gitugi and Kiru areas, implying that the vibrant society that led in coffee payments years ago is in trouble. Further, Wambui said that some of the farmers who were leading the displeased farmers in asking for accountability were expelled from the society.
“They expelled some members and attempts by local co-operative officers to resolve the contentious issues were unsuccessful as they were met with hostility,” she noted. Wambui said the society takes advantage of the advanced age of many members to impose draconian rules against them.
John Chege, another farmer, said they have been feeling helpless due to the government’s inability to intervene and help them. Chege said he was one of those expelled from the society in 2022 for leading farmers in demanding meetings intending to hold the society’s managers accountable and eliminate the unfavorable rules.
“This society has lost millions in loans taken from millers and which the management cannot explain as they have been avoiding inspection of their books,” Chege said. “In 2022, the managers locked co-operative officers out of their offices to stop them from inspecting the co-operative’s books of accounts,” he added.
Chege noted that he received a letter expelling him from the society alleging that he had become a burden to the co-operative, causing it to incur losses by pushing for several general meetings disregarding the laid down procedures in place to lodge complaints.
He said among the contentious issues, the farmers also questioned the society’s decision to acquire expensive loans from millers instead of getting funds from local Sacco’s that are significantly cheaper noting that in 2021 the society was one of the best and paid Sh106 per kilo of coffee sold which was the best price recorded in the county at the time.
Mary Njeri, a farmer, expressed her concern over thousands of shillings deducted for the Sacco every time she receives her payment. “This year, they have deducted Sh8,000 from my proceeds and I wonder why I have to keep contributing to a Sacco whose operations I don’t understand,” she lamented, saying that she wants the entire management dissolved so that fresh elections can be held.
She further said the management has allowed people who are not farmers to become shareholders in the society and claimed they conspire to deny farmers the chance to give their inputs. “For about five years now farmers are called for meetings but cannot air their grievances because those who attempt to speak out are intimidated,” she said.
“Some 26 members have been expelled from the co-operative society after interrogating the management on why the Sacco deductions are not receipted,” she added. The society’s chairperson, Geoffrey Macharia, in response to the allegations against the management dismissed the claims saying only a few critics have been misinforming farmers.
Macharia said farmers approved the deduction of five percent of their earnings to support society activities such as procurement of inputs and foodstuffs. The chairperson said disgruntled members of the coffee society can seek legal redress.
