Oparanya warns against embezzlement of coffee farmers money

Management committees running various coffee cooperative societies in Ukambani region have been cautioned against mismanagement and embezzlement of farmers’ money from the coffee proceeds.

Cooperative CS Wycliffe Oparaya said on Thursday  that the rampant reports of numerous cooperative societies in the constituency sinking into huge debts from financial institutions were worrying.

The CS who addressed coffee farmers at Tala town in Machakos County, said many residents have been condemned to poverty due to corruption and mismanagement of the coffee societies.

“Majority of our farmers are wallowing in poverty because of deliberate mistakes of criminal nature perpetuated by the officials of coffee societies. We are putting on notice the management committees of all the coffee societies that firm legal action will be taken against those who run down these societies,” said Oparaya.

Citing the example of some Farmers’ Cooperative Society’s in some counties where members recently staged demonstrations over alleged misappropriation of funds by former management committees, the CS warned that malpractices in the cooperative sector had contributed to a drop in coffee production and subsequent accumulation of debts from lenders.

“Some management committees are responsible for the mess in the coffee societies because they engage in irregular borrowing without the knowledge of members,” he warned.

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Machakos deputy governor Francis Mwangangi also appealed to CS Oparaya for a debt waiver owed to coffee cooperatives societies in the Machakos County.

The deputy governor said the debt was small compared to what the national government had waived to farmers in other region across country.

“I am appealing to the national government to consider extending debt waiver to our coffee farmers in my county, as it happened to sugar and tea farmers in other parts of the country,” he added.

Key coffee producing in the  county include Machakos, Kangundo,kwa matingi and Kathiani Sub-Counties, also produce substantial coffee.

By Gastone Valusi

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