DP Gachagua decries frustrations by coffee cartels, hits out at Judiciary

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has admitted to frustrations from cartels stalling the government’s intended reforms in the tea and coffee sectors.

The DP further pointed an accusing finger at the Judiciary for compounding the problem in stopping reforms proposed in the Tea Amendment Bill, 2023.

Reforms in the tea and coffee sectors, a major pledge made by the Kenya Kwanza government, prominently featured in Gachagua’s speech as he admitted how deep-rooted the ‘cartels’ in the industry are, seemingly appearing frustrated by hurdles as a result.

“Hiyo vita ya kahawa inataka chuma ya zamani, hii watu ni ngumu kama Gikwa. Those fellows wamenyonya wakulima for a very long time. And I am telling you, nobody would have done these reforms outside the presidency and that is why President William Ruto directed me to do it,” he said.

“Hawa watu wako na nguvu na pesa mingi sana. They corrupt everybody in whole chain, it’s only at the presidency they cannot corrupt anybody, na pia sisi tuko na usalama ya kutosha.”

Gachagua cited the High Court’s ex parte orders stopping the implementation of some clauses in the Tea Amendment Bill, 2023 sponsored by Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei saying this has given room for cartels to continue controlling the sub-sector at the expense of tea farmers, who he said are not benefitting from their produce.

“I want to appeal to the Judiciary, those tea reforms were so well crafted they would have sorted out all our problems. The judges, without listening to other side of the story, just listening to one side, wameenda wamesimamisha. Wakulima wamekwama, kila mtu amekwama,” said the Deputy President.

Echoing the same, Kenya Kwanza lawmakers in Gachagua’s company amplified the Executive’s judicial onslaught, accusing the third arm of government of stopping government projects.

Senate Majority Leader Aaaron Cheruiyot said: “Mimi naona afadhali hii mambo ya mazungumzo uache, wewe peleka tu ile kesi umesema, ambaye ni jaji ambaye anasumbua, ili ukweli ijulikane na mambo yote itoke. Serikali ikikuja na mpango, sio vizuri jaji kusimamisha mpango za serikali.”

In a separate function in Elgeyo Marakwet County, other Kenya Kwanza leaders adopted a similar tone, calling for a slash of the Judiciary’s budget, accusing the third arm of government of halting government projects.

President Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet stated: “Ikiwa President alizunguka akawaahidi Wakenya manyumba, na kwamba kutakuwa na zero corruption, akawaahidi Wakenya mambo ambayo ni mema, inakuwaje kortini inasimama mbele ya manifesto ya Wakenya?”

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, on his part, said: “Judiciary wanafanya nini? Na wakiendelea kucheza, ile Ksh.23 billion ambayo tunawapea kama Bunge, tutakata nusu, tuwapatie hawa wanafunzi wetu bursary, tuweke mahospitali na tupatie counties pesa ndio tuendelee.”

The remarks came against the backdrop of recent meeting between the leadership of the Executive and the Judiciary, which was critiqued and the issuance of fresh court orders against the government by courts, becoming yet another point of friction.