Farmers urge Ruto to intervene over nuts export

Macadamia traders dealing with in-shell nuts have castigated the Agriculture Food Authority (AFA) for denying them a license to export the commodity.

The traders from Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Embu, Nyeri, and Meru couties said the regulator barred the export of the in-shell nuts, in defiance of a High Court order issued in November.

During a meeting chaired by Johnson Kihara at Sagana, the members of the Nut Traders Association of Kenya (NUTRAK) said more than 100 containers of nuts destined for China were lying in warehouses after AFA denied them the export licenses.

The dealers alleged that AFA was favouring their rivals dealing with the processed nuts designed for the US market.

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“The delay to allow exportation of the in-shell nuts to the international market was denying the government billions of shillings in revenue as a container was charged Sh53,000,” said Kihara.
The dealers appealed to President William Ruto and his deputy Kithure Kindiki, to ensure the regulator upholds the High Court order.

Peter Maina Kiumi, a dealer in Sagana, said 12 containers were in the warehouses with the AFA seeking information on where they bought the produce from.

“The dealers are incurring losses running into billions of shillings after the denial of the export license,” said Kiumi.

He said that in 2023, the export of in-shell was a relief to the farmers after the government heeded to outcry over poor prices of Sh30 per kilogram.

Macadamia Farmers Association Chairman Peter Gichabi regretted that public forums held towards the end of 2024 did not involve farmers, as processors sent their employees.

“In Murang’a the meeting was held in a hotel, thus blocking the growers from accessing it, while in Embu when we got the wind, we learnt it was done the previous day,” said Gichabi.

In November 2024, Eric Mwirigi Mbaabu obtained a court order that directed the regulator to stop interfering with the nut business. Mbaabu has threatened to move to court to file contempt charges against AFA.

“I am proceeding to court seeking to institute civil proceedings against AFA leadership for defying a court order,” he said.