By John Kariuki
Gichugu Member of Parliament, Robert Gichimu Githinji, has welcomed the record-high coffee payouts announced for the 2024/2025 season, terming them a clear win for hardworking farmers and a validation of the ongoing coffee sector reforms.
Speaking in Gichugu during a farmers' meeting, Gichimu praised the collaboration between the national and county governments, noting that the reforms were finally bearing fruit in Kirinyaga County. "This is what we’ve been pushing for — real change that puts money directly in the farmers’ pockets," said the legislator.
Twenty-seven out of the county’s 75 wet mills, including several in Gichugu Constituency, have announced impressive payouts ranging between Ksh100 and Ksh145 per kilogram of cherry. Leading the way is Gacami Coffee Factory under the Baragwi Farmers Cooperative Society, paying Ksh145.10 per kilo, followed closely by Karumandi, Mukure, and Mucagara factories.
Gichimu applauded the formation and licensing of the Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage Company Limited by 14 cooperative societies, which now enables farmers to bypass exploitative middlemen and sell their produce directly at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. "This is a major milestone. We’ve broken the cycle of dependency and exploitation. Now, our farmers are in charge," he said.
He further acknowledged President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s recent visit to Central Kenya, where they reaffirmed agriculture as a pillar under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Gichimu said the message was clear: coffee farming must be profitable again.
The MP also credited Governor Anne Waiguru for supporting cooperative societies through input delivery, extension services, and agronomy support. “It’s encouraging to see both levels of government working together. When farmers thrive, the entire constituency thrives,” Gichimu added.
Farmers and cooperative leaders echoed the MP’s sentiments. Joyce Wanjiku, Chairperson of Rungeto Cooperative, and Cyrus Chomba, Baragwi Cooperative Manager, attributed the high earnings to improved practices, better pricing, and reduced production costs.
With over 40,000 tons of coffee produced annually in Kirinyaga, translating to approximately Ksh2.8 billion in farmer earnings, Gichimu emphasized the need to sustain these gains. “We must keep supporting reforms, increasing access to training, and ensuring timely delivery of subsidized inputs. That’s how we build a resilient coffee economy,” he concluded.
Farmers like Josphat Gachoki and Lydiah Wanjira said they are more optimistic than ever, hopeful that the record payouts mark the beginning of a new era in Kenya’s coffee industry.
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