Editor's Review

“Those eight to nine people, we chased them away last week and they have all been deported.

The government has deported eight foreigners for exploiting macadamia farmers in the country. 

Cooperatives Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui revealed the deportation on Wednesday, April 19 in Kirinyaga County, branding the foreigners as cartels. 

“We have had around eight foreigners who have been traversing the country and buying macadamia including the unripe ones from our farmers at very low prices. That is why when our farmers fail to get a market and they sell macadamia at throwaway prices. 

“Those eight to nine people, we chased them away last week and they have all been deported,” said Chelugui.

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File image of a macadamia tree

CS Chelugui at the same time stated that the Ministry of Agriculture would make pronouncements to reorganize macadamia farming and empower farmers.

“We want now to reorganize the macadamia farming and I think the Minister for agriculture will be making some pronouncements on how we want to restore the prices of macadamia to where we were before. The Ksh. 250 per kilo and Ksh 20 today is a complete shame,” he added.

This comes days after Trade and Investments Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria claimed that forty macadamia processors were buying macadamia at Ksh 20 a kilo and selling at Ksh 800 in the international market.

“40 Macadamia processors are buying Macadamia at 20 Shillings per Kilo and selling at Ksh 800 in International markets. We don't want Ksh 800. We will be ok with Ksh 250 per Kilo for our toiling farmers,” he stated.