A section of coffee farmers from Kiambu County has voiced strong opposition to new government regulations mandating payment through M-Pesa, warning that the move could spell doom for cooperative societies and coffee factories.
Speaking during a meeting held at Ndumberi Stadium, the farmers expressed fears that the mobile payment system would bypass established structures, ultimately weakening the cooperative model that has long sustained the coffee sector.”
The new M-Pesa payment model will dismantle our societies and lead to the collapse of factories. It is not sustainable for our operations and will disenfranchise many farmers,” said one of the leaders at the forum.The farmers also called for the decentralization of all coffee-related services, including the distribution of subsidized farm inputs.
They argued that empowering individual factories to handle these services would enhance efficiency and ensure that support reaches farmers directly and promptly.”Our inputs should be accessed at the factory level. This will cut delays and reduce opportunities for corruption or mismanagement at higher levels,” another farmer noted.
The protest by Kiambu farmers adds to growing tensions within Kenya’s coffee sector, as stakeholders debate the implications of new reforms aimed at streamlining operations and increasing transparency.
The farmers are now urging the government to consult widely and consider localized solutions that reflect the realities on the ground.
