Coffee society closed over corruption #kenya

THE Komothai Coffee Cooperative Society has
been closed. The co-op was closed indefinitely
during a special general meeting at its office in
Komothai Ward, Githunguri on Saturday.
Members blamed the closure on poor
management, corruption and the government's
laxity in prosecuting incriminated officials for the
past 10 years.
They accused county cooperative commissioner
Ephraim Mathenge of colluding with officials to
steal from the society. The members said they
have lost Sh25 million and the society owes the
Cooperative Bank Sh52 million. "The society's
workers have not been paid for the past four
months.
That is why we are giving the government three
months to investigate where Sh10 million and
another Sh15 million it gave to the society for
fertiliser was taken," said Rebecca Wairimu Njihia.
"Years back our families benefited greatly from
coffee. Now it would be better to close this
society, uproot the crop and start farming maize
instead. We don't want to be told of borrowing
power which has seen us have a debt of Sh52
million." The members said the society's
marketer has been depriving the farmers of
coffee.
"He should be appointed in consultation with
farmers not by the board which works in
cahoots with them to steal from us," said John
Mburu. "We used to give loans to the
government in 1967. We used to produce 16
million tonnes of coffee. We are now producing
17, 000.
The officials are corrupt and they never release
accounts to us for perusal." Kiambu Deputy
Governor Gerald Githinji said a fresh election
should be done on Friday and police directed to
seize all the book keeping records. "The farmers
have said that they don't want the officials elected
a few months ago," he said.