Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has exposed county governments for defying agreements made in the coffee sector.
Speaking yesterday, the Second in Command singled out Kiambu
and Uasin Gishu Counties for defying an agreement of licencing millers and
coffee marketers, and in the process sabotaging President William Ruto’s
government.
According to Gachagua, they had agreed that marketers should
not be licensed as millers to avoid creating conflict.
However, the two counties have reportedly licensed marketers
who are also serving as millers.
"In the coffee subsector reforms, we are a bit
concerned from the national government that some counties have engaged in
activities that undermine those reforms," Gachagua stated.
"Despite having agreed to that we shall not have
multiple licences so that the sector is not captured. We did agree that those
who mill should not market but some counties contrary to what we agreed have
licensed everybody to be millers when they are marketers," he added.
Gachagua noted that defying the agreements waters down the
progress in the coffee sector and is likely to cause a crisis in the sector.
He challenged the counties to honour the agreement and avoid
undermining his work in coffee and tea reforms in the country as assigned by
President William Ruto.
"This undermines the progress we have made so far. I
want to request the counties to be part of the reforms and stick to what was
agreed on otherwise we shall have a crisis," Gachagua explained.
"We have had problems in Kiambu and Uasin Gishu where
the county governments have licensed everybody to be millers contrary to what
had been agreed on. I really want to seek your indulgence and cooperation that
for these reforms to succeed we need to be true to what was agreed on."
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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