DP Rigathi Gachagua has assured coffee farmers that the reforms are on course and that soon, the farmer will triumph.
On Monday, the Gachagua convened a consultative meeting with the Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Simon Chelugui, Principal Secretary for Trade Alfred K’Ombudo, Principal Secretary for Cooperatives Patrick Kilemi, his Crop Development counterpart Kello Harsama, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Coffee Caucus and key agencies in line Ministries to assess progress of the Coffee Subsector reforms.
”From the detailed analysis of the process, we are headed in the right direction. We are tightening the nuts to deliver the reforms. The farmer must thrive,” DP Gachagua said, adding that President Ruto was eager to see reforms in the Coffee, Tea, Dairy, and other key subsectors succeed to earn the farmer more money as promised in the Kenya Kwanza Plan.
Last month, the DP said coffee reforms are unstoppable and that some of the proposals will be made law by December.
Some of the policy documents that have been lined up to revive the sector include Draft Sessional Paper Number 1 of 2023 on sustainable quality coffee production for food security and wealth creation, the Coffee Bill 2023, the Draft Co-operatives Bill 2023, and the Sessional Paper no. 1 of 2020 on the National Co-operative Policy.
The Coffee Bill proposes to reorganise the coffee industry by transitioning the regulatory and commercial roles currently undertaken by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to the Coffee Board of Kenya.
It further seeks to transition the research of coffee currently undertaken by the Coffee Research Institute under the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (Kalro) to the Coffee Research Institute (CRI).
