Coffee farmers rest easy as produce theft falls

Farmers in Mt Kenya can now sleep easy as major theft of coffee beans that rocked the region in 2016 has been contained.

The last biggest case took place two years ago when farmers lost about 800 bags of coffee worth more than Sh157 million.

Nyeri County was the worst hit by the thefts that left a trail of losses and despair among farmers who got frustrated to the point of uprooting their plantation.

However, last year, no single coffee theft case was reported. Farmers and cooperatives have attributed this to combined efforts by the county governments and the national security personnel. The Coffee Directorate also came up with a raft of measures to stem the menace, key of which was ensuring that beans delivered for processing must have proper documents of origin.

The discovery of tonnes of stolen beans at a warehouse in Nyeri in 2016 was the beginning of the end to the racket that was robbing farmers of their hard earned income.

Although farmers are happy that the menace has been almost completely dealt with, they are concerned that most of the culprits have not been brought to book. What if they regroup and begin to terrorise farmers again? They ask.

“We thought the discovery of the stolen coffee would provide a crucial clue to the police officers. It was expected that this would take them to the larger gang stealing coffee in the region, but this did not happen” said Mr John Kamau, a coffee farmer supplying Rumukia cooperative.

Coffee experts in the region told the Sunday Nation that most of culprits end up buying their way out of the case through police officers.

READ: Farmers want firm managers probed over coffee thefts

For example, investigations into the theft of 10 tonnes of coffee worth Sh5 million that was later found in a house under construction in Tetu was thrown into limbo due to lack of a complainant.

The case has remained unsettled with police insisting they do not have enough evidence to arrest anyone, let alone sustain the case in court.

According to a former agriculture executive and member of the presidential task force, Robert Thuo, efforts by the Nyeri County government to curb coffee thefts helped in sealing loopholes that led to the prevalent coffee thefts in the county.

Currently, eight people have been barred from being part of coffee society management for apparent disregard of Chapter Six of the constitution.

Mr Thuo said although stealing of coffee has been largely addressed, no stones should be left unturned until the thieves face the law. This, he added, is the only way to ensure the problem does not recur.

“The Coffee Directorate should be in a position to track stolen coffee because it ends up somewhere... it just can’t disappear. Let them do their work and cancel the licences whether it is the movement permits, marketing or even roasting,” Mr Thuo said.