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Farmers resort to prayers as police fail to recover stolen coffee

 

Desperate farmers in Tharaka Nithi County have resorted to seeking divine intervention after unsuccessfully waiting for police to apprehend criminals who stole 200 bags of coffee worth about Sh8 million two months ago.

Police and administrative officers promised to conduct thorough investigations into theft of the commodity at Njaina Coffee Factory and charge the criminals who have impoverished coffee farmers in the region. However, this is yet to happen, two months on.

Mr Erastus Njagi, one of the farmers revealed during the interdenominational prayer that after unsuccessfully waiting for police investigations to bear fruits, they met and agreed to engage a witchdoctor but later changed their minds and invited pastors.

“We had agreed to pay a magician in order to perform witchcraft so that the criminals who stole the 200 bags of our coffee can come out and publicly confess committing the crime,” said Mr Njagi.

Karingani location chief Charles Njagi claimed that the factory management was to blame for the theft because it delayed delivering the coffee to the miller against a prevailing agreement with the farmers.

The administrator noted that following a series of coffee theft, farmers had met and agreed that every 10 processed bags should be taken to the miller in Mitheru and thus wondered why the officials at the factory had to accumulate the bags to 200 in disregard of the agreement.

“The factory management could have had its hand in the theft because there was no reason for holding the bags up to 200 against the farmers' resolve,” said Mr Njagi.

To heighten security, the chief proposed the installation of CCTV cameras to monitor the activities around the facility throughout the day and night.

Karingani ward MCA Godfrey Muriithi also insisted on the need for security agencies in the region to conduct painstaking investigations into the rampant theft of coffee in factories.

He also called for the improvement of security in coffee factories in the area by erecting floodlights and installation of CCTV cameras.

“If I will be re-elected in the August 9 polls, I will take this matter to the assembly so that our devolved government can fund the enhancement of security in the coffee factories to reduce theft,” said Mr Murithi.    BY DAILY NATION   

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