[SIZE=7]DP Ruto has monopolised macadamia sector – farmer[/SIZE]
Jul. 25, 2018, 12:30 am
By SUSAN MUHINDI @muhindi_suu
https://www.the-star.co.ke/sites/default/files/styles/new_full_content/public/articles/2018/07/25/1707392.jpg?itok=iqFHPmYzMeru macadamia farmers demonstrate outside governor Kiraitu Murungi’s office on Wednesday they demanded release of chinese investors who had been buying the produce at a Sh.180. They blamed a businessman from Thika for their arrest as he wants to eliminate chinese buyers so as to buy the macadamia nust at Sh.80 per kilogramme.They urged the governor to address their pleas…
A macadamia farmer in Meru county has accused Deputy President William Ruto and Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri of monopolising the nut sector.
In documents filed in an Embu court, Erick Mbaabu says a ministerial order issued by Ruto in 2009, prohibiting the export of raw macadamia was tainted with illegality and demonstrated malice to weed out competition in the industry. Ruto was the Minister for Agriculture at the time.
Mbaabu says, “It is within the public knowledge that throughout to date he has been associated with a company based at EPZ in Athi River, which is a major buyer and exporter of macadamia.”
The ban, according to the court documents, was lifted from December 15, 2010, to June 30, 2011.
The farmer, the director of Edenswin Traders Limited, wants the court to lift the ban. Edenswin is a Kenyan company with offices in Rwanda and Hong Kong and it exports macadamia.
Mbaabu has sued Kiunjuri and the Attorney General. “Kiunjuri has disregarded public interest in enforcing the ban on raw macadamia export and acted to achieve an alleged collateral purpose by irregularly issuing a directive for arrest of local and foreign investors offering better prices to macadamia farmers,” he says.
Mbaabu says his firm has international orders for export of mature, processed and machine-dried macadamia and offers better prices to farmers “contrary to dominant bureaucratic cartels aided by Kiunjuri.”
Embu judge Florence Muchemi issued orders prohibiting Kiunjuri and the AG from harassing, arresting, detaining or interfering with Mbaabu’s business of buying, selling, processing or exporting macadamia with or without a shell.
She issued a temporary order that the company’s macadamia goods be allowed to be exported, pending determination of the application.
The orders were issued on July 10 and the case is due for hearing today.
The petition by Mbaabu touches on the grievances of macadamia farmers in Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties. He says they are not only buying and exporting mature macadamia, but processed ones.
The government, he argues, cannot selectively choose who will export, where to sell and for what purpose. “The farming has placed Meru and Embu on the map and attracted local and international clientele, thereby creating fair competition,” he says.
Mbaabu says they are getting high prices of Sh220 per kilo. Before international clientele came in, prices were only Sh25 per kilo, he says. .
“Cartels have been conniving to monopolise and steal from farmers, leaving them poorer and more destitute while unscrupulous businesspeople continue to shine,” he says.
Mbaabu wants the court to declare Section 43 of AFFA Act 2013 prohibiting export of raw macadamia was enacted unconstitutionally and hence is null and void. He seeks an order quashing prohibition of export of raw macadamia contained under
Section 43 of AFFA Act 2013.
