Wetang’ula Blasts Coffee Cartels Accused of Exploiting Bungoma Farmers

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has condemned cartels and compromised cooperative officials accused of exploiting coffee farmers in Bungoma County.

Speaking on Friday during the burial of his cousin, Simon Wekesa Wetang’ula, in Kabuchai Constituency, the Speaker said farmers were being denied fair returns despite strong coffee production in the region. He described the situation as unjust, arguing that people with no involvement in coffee farming were benefiting more than those who grow the crop.

Wetang’ula blamed the problem on entrenched networks operating within cooperative societies, which he said had strayed from their original purpose of protecting farmers’ interests. He warned that these practices were undermining efforts to restore confidence in the coffee sector and called for the cartels to be dismantled.

His remarks come as the government implements reforms aimed at reviving coffee farming, including measures that have increased producer prices from Sh20 to Sh160 per kilogramme. Bungoma County has about 38,000 coffee farmers working nearly 7,000 hectares, making it an important contributor to the national coffee industry.

Despite improved prices, concerns remain that corruption within cooperatives could limit the impact of these reforms. Observers say stronger oversight will be necessary to ensure farmers benefit fully from recent policy changes.

During the same event, Wetang’ula urged young people in Bungoma to apply for national identity cards and register as voters ahead of the next General Election. He said voter registration in the county was low compared with its population size, warning that this could reduce its political representation at the national level.