Members of Wendano Matuu Company Ltd in Matungulu constituency on Thursday protested outside the company offices after the police barred them from holding a meeting in their land which has been a subject of court cases for the last 15 years as different factions within the society wrangle for leadership.
The members blamed the local police for being partisan in the dispute and called on the President and the Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki to intervene in order to save their land and property from being sold off by rogue officials.
The angry members who converged near the road at the farm said they had come to hold elections for new leadership as the previous one had failed them accusing the previous regime led by the Chairman of irregularly selling off their property.
They claimed the officials have had long running court battles that have paralyzed the operations of the coffee company and were further keeping members at bay as they exploited and mismanaged company resources.
“We elected our leaders in 2013 and they started fighting in court. They have now come together to sell our property as our children continue to suffer. We want the government to intervene,” said a 73-year-old shareholder Mr. Charles Wambua.
The farmers said that for the last 15 years, the directors of the company working with the security organs had taken their company for granted occasioning an alleged loss of over Ksh 2.8 billion.
Despite the police blocking entrance to the company premises, the members later held a meeting beside the road along Tala-Thika road and elected new leaders.
While delivering their speeches, the new officials thanked the members for electing them and condemned the move by the police officers barring them from holding their special meeting in the company’s premises.
Matungulu Deputy OCPD Evans Mose said the police had court orders not to allow any member inside the company until the court case was determined.
By Gastone Musyoka
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