Kiraitu criticises Munya as he opens coffee milling plant in Meru
The Meru Coffee Millers Cooperative Union has opened a processing plant at Chaaria in Central Imenti, months after they were evicted from a facility owned by the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union.
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi launched the satellite coffee mill and faulted Agriculture CS Peter Munya for evicting the MCMU from the NKPCU factory in May.
“The CS took over the Meru NKPCU mill from MCMCU but never took the mill in Sagana. Embu, too, has its own mill and money allocated will be used to fund that mill. Tharaka Nithi also has a mill and it’s not being taken over by New KPCU,” Kiraitu said.
The MCMCU plant chair Zablon Mbaabu said the plan is to buy land and establish a permanent mill. Currently, the factory is operating on leased land.
He said that before the eviction to pave the way for NKPCU, they were milling up to 40,000 50kg bags of coffee annually.
“We had over 70 per cent of coffee cooperative societies in Meru. Our milling was disrupted after we were chased away. But by good luck, we got a godown at Chaaria and leased this mill. However we are planning to purchase land and build our own mill,” Mbaabu said.
Kiraitu had termed political, the eviction of MCMCU. He said the national government should have funded the Meru coffee farmer’s mill rather than spend money trying to revive the old KPCU mill.
The governor faulted Munya for his plans to come up with new coffee bills before taking in reforms proposed by the Coffee Sector Implementation Committee headed by Joseph Kieyah.
But Munya said farmers are free to deliver coffee to the mill of their choice as they operate in a free market system and competition is the rule of the game. The CS had defended the eviction, saying the MCMU leasing period had lapsed and it had an unsettled loan.
He added that the union has been taking loans from banks without helping the farmers.
Earlier this month, a court in Meru vacated orders extending MCMCU's use of the factory, effectively putting it in the hands of the NKPCU.
Kiraitu said coffee farmers would benefit more if the mill would pay on receiving the coffee.
“This mill will benefit these farmers if you pay them upon delivery of their coffee so that even in case of theft, poor sale or even better sale they already have their money to purchase farm inputs,” Kiraitu noted.
The county chief said the Meru coffee mill should be allocated a share of the Sh3 billion Cherry Advanced Revolving Fund.
Deputy Governor Titus Ntuchiu said the competition between MCMCU and NKPCU will enhance quality.
“Competition is healthy and what matters is the outcome. It is time we managed this milling firm as a business entity,” Ntuchiu said.
He called on the mill's management to ensure less operational losses for farmers to benefit.

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