Wetang'ula urges farmers to oust corrupt coffee cooperative leaders

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Sirisia on July 27, 2025.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula has called on farmers in Bungoma County to rise up and eject corrupt cooperative officials who continue to defraud them of their hard-earned income.

Speaking on Sunday during a church service at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Sirisia, Wetang'ula singled out rogue officials in coffee cooperatives across Mount Elgon and Kimilili, accusing them of exploiting farmers despite recent government reforms that have significantly boosted the sector.

"It is unacceptable for a chairman with a tiny plantation to pocket the highest earnings while the real farmers the ones tilling the land go home with peanuts. Let us not be silenced. Let's demand justice and protect the sweat of every farmer who feeds this nation," said Wetang'ula.

He noted that under the coffee prices have increased from Sh 50 to Sh 160 per kilo in the last two years and farmers are now receiving free high-yield seedlings that mature within 15 months. However, these gains are being undermined by poor cooperative leadership.

"Thanks to reforms in the agriculture sector, the coffee industry is recovering. But what good are higher prices and better seedlings if mismanagement keeps robbing farmers of their dues?" he stated.

Wetang'ula stressed that cooperatives must remain farmer-owned, transparent, and accountable to the people they serve.

He urged farmers to take control of their unions and vote out officials who prioritize personal gain over collective prosperity.

"Cooperatives should not be personal empires. They belong to the farmers, and it's time the farmers reclaimed them," he added.