Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has urged coffee farmers in the county to back President William Ruto, tying their support to the possible clearance of a Ksh1 billion debt burden affecting cooperatives.
Speaking during a coffee stakeholders’ meeting in the county, on Wednesaday March 25, where Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya was in attendance, Waiguru rallied farmers to support the Head of State should the government move to settle the long-standing arrears.
“Akilipa ni tutam,” she said, signalling that political backing would depend on the fulfilment of the debt waiver promise.
The governor said the debt has continued to weigh down farmers, affecting their earnings and limiting growth in one of Kenya’s key coffee-producing regions.
At the same time, she highlighted ongoing progress in the sector, noting that Kirinyaga’s coffee value chain supports more than 120,000 farmers and generates about Ksh7.4 billion annually, with the county’s produce maintaining strong performance in global markets.
According to the county, production has risen to 48,000 metric tonnes, with top-grade AA coffee fetching up to Ksh1,715 per kilogram, while farmers earn up to Ksh148 per kilogram of cherry.
Waiguru further outlined investments aimed at strengthening the sector, including Ksh36 million allocated to factory modernisation and solar drying infrastructure, as well as a Ksh27 million warehouse project in Kimicha that is nearing completion.
She added that farmers have earned Ksh10.5 billion through the Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage, alongside growing efforts to promote local value addition through emerging coffee brands.
The governor maintained that her administration will continue supporting farmers while pushing for the fast-tracking of the cooperative debt waiver, which she said remains critical to improving farmer incomes and sustaining production.
The remarks come amid ongoing national reforms in the coffee sub-sector aimed at enhancing farmer payouts and improving efficiency in cooperative societies.
