Coffee farmers belonging to the Kibirigwi Cooperative Society in Ndia, Kirinyaga County, staged a protest on Thursday due to dissatisfaction with their earnings.
Angered by what they termed as inadequate pay, farmers from Ragati and Ngugi-ini factories blocked the Sagana-Karatina road for four hours. They accused the management of the Kibirigwi cooperative society of unfair payment practices and alleged embezzlement of their funds. Samuel Wanjohi of Ragati factory expressed their resolve, stating, "We are prepared to shut down all eight factories and remove the entire management."
Meanwhile, farmers from Ngugi-ini marched from their coffee factory to Kibirigwi shopping center along the busy Sagana-Karatina road, demanding accountability and transparency from their leadership. Joseph Kinyua affirmed their determination, declaring, "We will continue protesting until our chairman is removed."
Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango and Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Njeri joined the farmers in condemning the inadequate payment rates and called for a thorough forensic audit of the cooperative's finances. Senator Murango highlighted that among the 14 coffee cooperative societies in Kirinyaga, Kibirigwi was the last to disclose its payment rates and had the lowest compensation, exacerbating the farmers' discontent.
