Cartels Pose Obstacle to Coffee Sector Reform Efforts, Says DP Gachagua

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has voiced his concerns regarding the challenges faced in implementing much-needed reforms in the coffee sector, primarily due to the influence of cartels profiting from the toil and dedication of coffee farmers.

Gachagua remarked, “We are completely overwhelmed by the coffee sector, not because we are lazy or unwilling to work, but because the cartels have deeply infiltrated the coffee farming industry.”

Addressing the issue on Sunday in Othaya, Nyeri County, Deputy President Gachagua underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to these reforms.

He revealed the presence of a prominent cartel consisting of four individuals with a significant stronghold in the coffee industry. This cartel, he noted, was actively working to hinder the government’s plans by artificially creating crises within the coffee sector.

Moreover, Deputy President Gachagua disclosed that proposed amendments to several laws governing the coffee business would soon be presented in Parliament.

He explained, “The entrenched cartels, a minority, purchase coffee at exceedingly low prices and then sell it at exorbitant rates in foreign markets.

The reforms are progressing as planned. The proposed law amendments will be tabled in Parliament shortly. Among the proposed changes is the stipulation that individuals engaged in coffee milling cannot simultaneously be marketers or sellers. It’s a ‘one man, one job’ principle.”

He called upon Members of Parliament to rally behind these amendments in support of coffee farmers.

Deputy President Gachagua also pointed out that one of the reforms facing resistance from the cartels is the revitalization of the New KPCU (Kenya Planters’ Cooperative Union) and the Coffee Board of Kenya.