Kenyan farmers petition parliament to investigate Cooperative Commissioner

The long-standing battle that has engulfed the reformed Kenya Planters’ Co-Operative Union has flared up again recently as coffee farmers petitioned the government to have one of its senior members investigated, stating that he is purposefully hampering the KPCU’s immediate growth.

Kenyan farmers want Patrick Musyimi to be investigated regarding a conflict of interest. Musyimi is the Commissioner for Cooperatives and also sits on the board of the Kenya Coffee Cooperative Exporters (KCCE), an organisation which actively competes with the KPCU.

This isn’t the first time that politicians have been embroiled with allegations surrounding the KPCU as clashes between the Co-operative and various ministers has been a running theme of 2014.

The Daily Nation quotes the tabled papers as saying “the National Assembly [should] investigate the conduct of the Commissioner….with view to sanctioning, censuring and removing him from the position.”

It is alleged that Musyimi has not been fulfilling his role properly by not assisting the KPCU in the settlement of its debts.

It is also claimed that he and playing a role in the arrangement of supposed illegal elections, which saw the return of officials who were originally barred from contesting via a resolution of Parliament back in 2012.

The results of which were eventually declared null and void.

Other accusations that have been levelled at him include a clear failure to help the Union in compensation claims.

Worryingly, last month the Kenyan High Court issued an order which restrains Mr Musyimi from interfering with managing members of the KPCU for three months.