Kenyan coffee cartels: over the last few months, cases of coffee theft have been rising in ...

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Kenyan coffee cartels: over the last few months, cases of coffee theft have been rising in Kenya. Taking advantage of the high Kenyan coffee prices in the international market, cartels are making a killing from stolen coffee.
Coffee Theft Kenyan coffee cartels: over the last few months, cases of coffee theft have been rising in Kenya. Author: Muthoni, Rachel Geographic Code: 6UGAN Date: May 1, 2012 Words: 1585 Publication: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal ISSN: 0040-0343 Title Annotation: Comment:

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stolen coffee from Eastern and Central Kenya is suspected to be sold to private millers. The same commodity stolen from Western and Nyanza provinces is smuggled to the neighboring country of Uganda in large quantities. The coffee is transported across Kenya-Uganda border with trucks, pick-ups and motorbikes. Even as they are aware that they are participants of an illegal trade, transporters are willing to do business with smugglers. "I cannot resist the offer to transport coffee to Uganda, I am making a killing," said a motor cyclist who sought anonymity. For one trip transporting coffee, he said, he earns Sh2,500 ($31.6USD), five times what he earns while doing "normal" business of ferrying passengers in Kenya. Who would mind such an offer? The more they steal, the better my business," laments the commercial cyclist. Allegedly, from Uganda, the coffee is sold to Arabic countries at high prices. Smugglers find it easier to export the coffee from Uganda than Kenya where laws are more strictly observed. Coffee smuggling from Kenya to Uganda is not. In the 1970s smugglers hired thieves and transporters to take coffee from Bungoma in Western Kenya to Chepkube in Uganda, a trading center famous for the illegal trade. History has it that smugglers in the past years made millions of shillings from this business. In Bungoma, the same area, at least seven were killed as farmers blocked thieves from stealing coffee from a factory. Among those who died were three security guards who were on duty at the factory. Still, the thugs who were heavily armed managed to steal

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coffee worth over Sh1 million ($12,658USD). Late last year, five people were reported dead after drowning while smuggling coffee to Uganda through the Malaskisi river in Western Kenya. During the last coffee picking season which ended this February, farmers were forced to act as guards in their farms. The thieves had become so daring that they would pick coffee from farms at night when farmers are asleep. In some instances, the thieves fled with coffee tree branches with ripe coffee. "This is worse than stealing, even the thieves are being senseless," said Ben Murage, a farmer, adding, "If the thieves destroy the trees, where shall they steal tomorrow?" In factories too, farmers are guarding coffee in turns. Prices of a kilogram of red berries has improved from Sh90 ($1.1USD) in 2010 to Sh120 ($1.5USD) last year. This motivated many farmers to not only increase their acreage of coffee trees, but also take better care of the old trees to improve yields. But the farmers are ready to do anything to make sure no group of people will reap from their sweat. They have employed security guards in the factories through co-operative societies, but need the farmers to add strength to the watchmen. John Mukuria does not miss his turn for a night in Kahuro factory, Mukurweini. At 6 pm, he picks his trench coat, a scarf, a spear, sword and shield, he leaves his house for a 30-minute walk to the factory. The weapons are traditional weapons among the Agikuyu, Mukuria's tribe. He received them as a souvenir from his late father, little did he know they would come in handy guarding his main source of income. "I will brave the cold night, I have to follow the agreement among farmers about guarding their coffee at the factory," says Mukuria All men who sell their coffee through this factory guard their produce in turns, in groups of 15, every night. This way, they are able to stand at different strategic points in a bid to keep watch on any strangers wanting to get into the compound. The ones who are too old and women pay Sh200 ($2.5USD) every month, which goes to hiring another person to act on their behalf. At Thangaini Coffee Society in Central Kenya, coffee worth millions of shillings have bee stolen from different factories. Out of the eight factories that fall under this society, four of them have been visited by thugs who have fled with coffee. "At Kariaini, they stole 20 bags of husked coffee, at another one coffee worth Sh500,000 ($6,329USD) was also stolen," said John Kariuki, the Society's secretary At Wethaga, in the same area, four men were charged before court for stealing coffee berries worth Sh50,000 ($633USD). In January this year, armed thugs stole coffee worth Sh7.5 million ($94,936.7USD) from a factory in Kiambu, about 120 kilometers from Nairobi, Kenya's capital. The thugs, who were heavily armed disarmed two Administration Police officers who had been stationed to boost security at the factory. According to the area District Officer (DO), the thugs raided the factory at 1am and beat up the police officers before gaining entry into the stores. The thugs were more in numbers that the police officers, and had Ak47 rifles, a thing, the DO says, caused them to overpower the police officers. The DO said the trend of armed thieves stealing coffee from factories was worrying and asked members of the public to alert the police in case of any suspicious people. Police are yet to give the outcome of investigations on this theft.

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Around the same time, armed robbers killed three security men at Namangufulo, in Bungoma County, Western Kenya. The gang then tried to steal bags of coffee, but not before alert villagers heard a commotion and raised alarm. The villagers, mot of them farmers neighboring the factory attacked and killed two of the gang members. Other gang members (whose numbers is not known) fled, but the farmers saved their coffee, thanks to their being alert. Unfortunately, the farmers could not save the lives of the three watchmen from thugs who love reaping from where they did not sow. Sources revealed there is a lot of money changing hands between smugglers, thief and police in the vice of stealing coffee. According to an insider, police are bribed along the roads to let vehicles carrying stolen coffee pass road blocks without any questioning. It is illegal to transport coffee in Kenya without authority from Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK). The authorizing documents must show where the coffee originated and where it is destined to. The deliveries documents ought to be surrendered to millers once coffee is delivered. But somehow coffee smugglers still succeed in their illegal transportation without CBK authority, raising eyebrows of possible corruption involving traffic policemen. Late last December, at Kenya's Internal Security, Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia said 36 coffee society leaders and five millers were put under investigation over coffee theft. A police squad was formed in response to rising cases of coffee theft in the country which is causing farmers losses in millions of Kenya Shillings. The squad works with district security committees from various affected areas including various districts in Central and Western Kenya. The Permanent Secretary has since warned police officers against tipping robbers on possible interceptions of stolen coffee. "The government will take action against such officers who interfere with investigations and catching of coffee robbers," warned Kimemia. But no information has been given to the public over the progress or outcome of the investigations even as questions on who steals coffee are rising among farmers. Security authorities revealed that they are taking coffee stealing cases as runaway and a crime that should face the full wrath of the law. Some farmers now claim to be demoralized by the rising cases of coffee theft and want the government to deal with the menace once and for all. "It is heart breaking to tender for my coffee trees everyday, knowing too well that someone else is likely to reap from my hard labor," said Jackie Wanyonyi, a farmer She said she would want the government to beef up security in the coffee sector as a way of motivating farmers who are psyched by the rising prices, but discouraged by the thieves. "Let not the government watch as a group of lazy Kenyans, eat the fruits of their fellow hard working countrymen," said another farmer. He said it was sad that watchmen, who are among the lowest paid people in Kenya, had to lose their lives as they guarded such a precious commodity. "I wish societies would consider having insurance for watchmen working in factories, their families would be paid benefits in case they (watchmen) died while on duty," said

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the farmer. Only time will tell if the government will take action against coffee thieves and save the sweat of farmers. But with speculation of police, who work under the same government, being part of coffee stealing cartel, it may not be easy to stop the menace and put the culprits behind bars. For justice to be served, a special independent unit needs to be formed to carry out thorough investigations. For now, numerous farmers who have fallen victims of coffee thieves will have to bear the burden of losses. Losses that would have otherwise been an earning for their own sweat, but which some other people found fortune in. Most small-scale coffee farmers depend on the cash crop as their major source of income. While a few venture into other activities such as dairy farming, most of them depend on coffee for basics such as paying school fees. And while their earnings are threatened by thieves, this means their lives will lack such basic need as education for their children, more reason to worry considering the literacy levels in Kenya are already low.
COPYRIGHT 2012 Lockwood Trade Journal Co., Inc. Copyright 2012 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

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