Farmers want firm managers probed over coffee thefts

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Nyeri has been the hardest hit by coffee thefts, with farmers losing more than 800 bags of parchment in 2016 alone.

Nyeri farmers have called for investigations into some coffee societies to weed out officials who could be working with the gangs to steal their produce.

The county has been the hardest hit by coffee thefts, with farmers losing more than 800 bags of parchment in 2016 alone.

In one of the incidents, a gang raided Ndiaini factory in Mukurweini and stole 51 bags of parchment worth Sh10 million. The gang even had time to feast on a chicken before fleeing.

Three people who worked at the factory managed by Rumukia Cooperative Society were charged with the robbery. The matter is still in court.

In an interview with Sunday Nation, the co-operative society’s vice-chairman Moses Mugwe said all they want is to be compensated by their insurer.

“They have taken their sweet time investigating this matter. All we want is to get the cheques so that we can compensate farmers and move on with life,” he said.
Investigations by Sunday Nation established that the managements of affected factories seem to be only interested in either getting their produce back once it is recovered or compensation from insurers.

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For those that lack cover or where the harvest is not recovered, the thefts “become bygones”.

Weeks before the Ndiaini raid, another gang stormed Tambaya — managed by the same cooperative society — and stole parchment worth Sh20 million.

Farmers in the county at that time had already lost more than Sh157 million through coffee thefts.

Tambaya factory farmers have since been compensated. However, they are not happy with the insurance company, saying it paid them less than the value of their produce.

“The insurance company pays us according to the rates at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange which sometimes is very low against the quality of our beans,” Mr Mugwe said.

Last year, police recovered 10 tonnes of coffee stashed in a building in Mutathini, Tetu. Area OCPD Muinde Kioko said investigations into the theft hit a snag because there was no complainant.