This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
Published on November 26, 2019, the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) has proposed a reward system for whistleblowers who expose corruption cartels in various sectors.
According to the proposal, whistleblowers will receive five per cent of the recovered loot, with the National Intelligence Service tasked with investigating the conduct of these cartels.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has previously acknowledged the existence of these cartels, which he claims have caused significant economic losses.
Efforts to combat these cartels have been ongoing, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations conducting audits on consignments and records last year.
Despite coffee being one of the most consumed products globally, farmers have been struggling with poverty due to a conspiracy between regulators, millers, traders, and brokers who keep prices down to increase their own profit margins.
Tea farmers have also been affected, with bonuses dwindling over the years. Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina blames cartels for the losses, which have led to many farmers abandoning tea farming.
“They overprice insurances, fertilisers, and transportation of tea to auction houses at the expense of the farmer,” he said.
