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{
"id": 37463,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/37463/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Ndambuki",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Agriculture",
"speaker": {
"id": 191,
"legal_name": "Gideon Musyoka Ndambuki",
"slug": "gideon-ndambuki"
},
"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, my Ministerial Statement is on illegal coffee deals and theft of coffee in this country. The Government recognizes that the coffee industry plays a key role in the Kenyan economy in line with Vision 2030. The coffee industry is a source of foreign exchange earnings and creates employment opportunities and it is generally a source of livelihood to an estimated 5 million Kenyans. Over the last ten years, the Government has introduced major reforms in the industry geared towards revitalization of the sub-sector. In addition, the Government has made several interventions including debt waiver, institutional restructuring and the establishment of Coffee Development Fund. These reforms are anticipated to drive industry to full recovery into the future. Over the last two years, the high coffee prices globally and at home has, indeed, increased illegal practices as evidenced in the number of cases reported over the last 12 months. The cases range from cherry hawking to robbery with violence. In some instances, lives have been lost. Coffee thefts take place at the coffee farms, coffee stores, on drying beds and even on transit. Like any other criminal act, the cases are reported to the police but there has been few successful arrests and prosecution. Mr. Speaker, Sir, my Ministry notes with concern that its effort to revamp the industry is being negated by rampant coffee theft in coffee growing areas. The malpractices are widespread and span across the country, namely; Rift Valley, Nyanza, Western, Central, Eastern and south east Kenya. In the last 12 months, July 2010 to June 2011, an estimated 2,348 bags of parched coffee valued at Kshs50 million have been lost. This, therefore, denies the farmers their rightful returns and, of course, escalates the cost of doing business in terms of insurance cover, security, mechanized drying of coffee and transit coffee tracking devices. It must be noted that any illegal coffee dealings not only contravene the Coffee Act but is also an affront to the fight against poverty. Indeed, illegal coffee deals are an economic crime and against the national development blue print of Vision 2030 of poverty alleviation in the rural areas. The illegal dealings and theft if unabated have the potential to turn this country into non-coffee producer hence denying the country foreign exchange earnings, the livelihood of an estimated 5 million Kenyans, employment for an estimated 240,000 people and, of course, related services sectors such as banks, input supplies et cetera. Mr. Speaker, Sir, provisions of the Coffee Act, pursuant to Section 17(1) (a) of the Coffee Act (No.9 of 2001) provides that anybody who buys, sells, mills, warehouses, exports or otherwise deals in or transacts any business in coffee, unless he is a holder of a current licence issued by the Board for the purposes, engages in illegal deal. Section 17 (1) (b) demands that any transportation or possession of any such coffee be supported by a valid movement permit issued by the Board. Therefore, buying and selling of coffee without the relevant licence and transporting of coffee without movement permit, therefore, contravenes the Act. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to put those who are doing this business of stealing coffee and going to sell it in other places to be aware. We are now alert and the Government is ready to face them. They should stop. Those millers who are buying coffee which is stolen from factories should also be aware that their licences are going to be revoked. The following are the factories which have lost their coffee; in Kiambu Komothai lost 118 bags, Kandara lost 35 bags, Kwenga Estate lost 800 bags and Gatunyu Kigio lost 30 bags. In Bencha Estate, cherry from trees was stolen. Benda Estate lost cherry, Mukura lost 80 bags; Kahuhia lost 20 bags; New Gaturi lost 11 bags; Gathangaini FCS, 60 bags; Muthithi, 21 bags; Muruga, 80 bags; Kandara, 21 bags, Muruga, 40 bags, Kigetuini, 20 bags, Musilili, 17 bags, Muvuti, 23 bags, Kithangathini (Makueni), 19 bags, Kivani (Makueni), 100 bags and Kangundo-King’oti, 20 bags."
}