President Uhuru Kenyatta has set up a task force to investigate reasons for the continued losses in Kenya’s coffee industry.
In a statement on Friday, Uhuru said the 19-member National Task Force on Coffee Sub-Sector Reforms, which will report directly to him, will identify areas of needed interventions in the production, processing and marketing of coffee.
The committee was formed after rampant wrangles,
cases of theft and low prices fetched and the
committee is expected to come up with recommendations on how to make the
cash crop profitable again.
The team will conduct consultations with coffee
stakeholders in the country who have often complained of losing hundreds
of millions to middle-men and cartels exporting the commodity.
The task force's mandate will lapse on March 24 and will consist members from government and private sectors, as well as the Attorney General’s Office.
Agriculture PS Richard Leresian will chair the team alternately with Joseph Kieyah, who is the acting Programmes Coordinator at Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis.
Members include Nairobi Java Group CEO Kevin Ashley, Robin Achoki, Githuku Mwangi, Andrew Karanja, Susan Maira, Patrick Katingima and Anne Onyango.
Other members are Hiram Mwaniki, Newton Nderitu, Adrian Atugi, Paul Kukubo, Philomena Koskei , Josphat Makhanu, Nelson Gichaba Simba and AG Githu Muigai.
