Angry farmers storm out of meeting on coffee bill

Farmers have strongly opposed a bill proposing radical changes in the coffee sector.

During a public participation forum, residents rejected the provisions of the Nyeri County Coffee Bill 2016 and eventually stormed out of the meeting at St Martin De Porres Plenary Hall in Othaya.

They resolved to await the outcome of a task force formed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to look into the challenges facing the coffee sector.

The move came as it emerged the tenure of the task force appointed by the President had been extended by 10 days.

The team was expected to present its report to the Head of State by March 24.

According to a source familiar with the operations of the task force, the extension is necessary since the team had not concluded its work by the close of business on Thursday when its mandate was supposed to end.

The bill that was first tabled at the Nyeri Assembly by the Agriculture Committee chaired by Kibira Ngunyi was to be replicated in other counties as the devolved units seek to salvage the collapsing sector.

But with the new development in Nyeri, it is likely that the other counties will also be forced to await the outcome of the task force.

In the stormy meeting yesterday, in Othaya, farmers said coffee should not be managed by county governments.

 Othaya Coffee Farmers Society chairman James Nderitu told off the committee, dismissing the forum as a sham because the assembly failed to give residents copies of the bill ahead of the meeting.

"We will not be part of a forum where the committee clerk reads out a law we have not read and do not understand. That is not participation but a public lecture," Nderitu said.

Mr Nderitu then told the committee that the laws should be set aside until the National Task force on Coffee's recommendations are presented to President Kenyatta.

"Coffee is a national crop and an international commodity, it cannot be regulated by the county. As farmers, we told the task force that we want to deal with the national government and be governed by only one law," Nderitu said.

He claimed that the farmers did not want to discuss the bill until the President identifies a way forward.

"If the President agrees with us then the coffee sub-sector will be reverted to the national government and that will protect us from interference from the county governments," Nderitu noted.

Nderitu said the bill intends to impose fines and taxes on coffee farmers at the expense of the sector.

"The bill is oppressive to farmers because each clause is proposing to fine and tax us for everything, including planting and uprooting our own coffee," Nderitu said.

He said there were up to 10 licences proposed in the bill and that if enacted the new law would be punitive to farmers and coffee buyers.

development fund

"It is not criminal to own, sell or buy coffee. It makes no sense for the farmers, sellers and the buyers of coffee to all pay for licences to the county government," Nderitu said.

He further argued that the sale of coffee in the international market would make it impossible to enforce fines and penalties at the county level.

Nderitu also objected the bill's proposal to set aside two per cent of the gross sales of coffee for the county coffee development fund (CODF).

"The county government wants to slash two per cent of what is owed to farmers before we are paid for our coffee to support the CODF, yet there is already a coffee development fund at the national level. We asked the national task force to scrap such punitive fees," Nderitu noted.

He warned the committee not to have the bill passed before farmers have been offered a chance to read the document.

"We do not recognise this public participation on the coffee bill because we have not read the document. First provide copies of the bill to all farmers beforehand," Nderitu said.

After Nderitu addressed the committee, farmers noisily stormed out of the meeting, leaving Kibira and his team to conclude the forum.

Kibira, the Agriculture Committee chairman, however insisted that as long as the committee recorded the farmers concerns in their report, the public forums would continue.

The Agriculture committee is expected to hold a similar forum today at the Karatina Municipal Hall.