This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
Published on May 5, 2020, Senators have accused Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya of bias in distributing Sh1.5 billion provided by the World Bank to help revive coffee production in Kenya.
The funds, meant to benefit coffee-producing counties across the country, have only benefited counties in the Mt Kenya region, including Kiambu, Murang'a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Meru, Tharaka Nthi, and Machakos.
Senators from other regions have expressed concern that their counties are being marginalized in the coffee production plan. Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula noted that coffee produced in Western and Rift Valley regions is milled in Thika, which is in Kiambu, and questioned the criteria used to allocate the funds.
"It is not true that most of our coffee is grown in central region. It is important to note that even the coffee produced in the Western and Rift Valley is milled in Thika which is in Kiambu. The criteria of allocating the funds must be reviewed," Wetang'ula said.
Other senators, including Moses Kajwang' (Homa Bay) and Samson Cherargei (Nandi), have also questioned the distribution of the funds, with Kajwang' suggesting that money should go directly to farmers without going through government bureaucracy.
Munya, however, has defended the distribution of the funds, stating that the World Bank has committed to provide additional funding in September, which will benefit the coffee-growing counties left out of the first allocation.
"We do not have any hidden agenda. Phase II of this project comes in September but we can also reduce the time for the second phase depending on availability of funds from counties," Munya said.
