Economy

MPs summon Munya over coffee marketers’ licencing extension

moiben

Moiben MP Silas Tiren who chairs the Agriculture Committee in Parliament. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NMG

Parliament has summoned Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS)Peter Munya over the extension of coffee marketers’ licences without its approval.

The Agriculture committee wants Munya to explain why he unilaterally amended the Coffee Regulations through Legal Notice 104 to extend agent licences from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.

The committee wants to know if Mr Munya side-stepped the House and unilaterally exercised delegated legislative authority to issue an instrument with a force of law.

The Statutory Instruments Act, requires all regulation-making organs, including the Cabinet Secretary, to seek the approval of the House before issuing any rules that have a force of law.

“We want the CS to appear before us within seven days. We want to know if the gazette notice he issued was approved by the Committee on Delegated Legislation as required by the Statutory Instruments Act,” Silas Tiren, who chairs the Agriculture Committee said.

Mr Tiren spoke during a meeting with coffee farmers who have petitioned Parliament to investigate malpractices in the licensing of coffee marketers.

The petitioners were led by Francis Gathiga, the chairman of Muranga Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union.

They want the House to annul Mr Munya’s gazette notice for contravening the process set out in the Statutory Instruments Act.

“We appeal to you to declare Legal Notice No 104 of 2021 and any other legal notices issued by the Cabinet Secretary unlawful, null and void since they were not subjected to public participation and parliamentary scrutiny as required under the Statutory Instruments Act,” Mr Gathiga said.

The new coffee regulations were meant to take effect on July 1 but were postponed to the end of the year to allow more time for preparations.

However, there has been confusion over the implementation of the new laws as the Ministry of Agriculture and CMA battle over who has control of the crop.

The CMA has argued that the law gives it the mandate to regulate the coffee sector, following the amendment of the capital Markets Act last year, while Mr Munya has insisted the function vests with the Agriculture and Food Authority since changes were not made to the Crops Act.

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