National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has accused cartels and corrupt cooperative officials of denying coffee farmers in Bungoma County fair earnings despite the region’s strong production potential.

Wetang’ula said Bungoma is among Kenya’s leading coffee-producing counties, but farmers continue to receive meagre returns due to entrenched cartels some involving non-farmers working in collusion with rogue cooperative officials to siphon off profits meant for growers.

Speaking during the burial of his cousin, Simon Wekesa Wetang’ula, at Mukhweya village in Kabuchai Constituency, the Speaker described the situation as unacceptable and a betrayal of farmers’ trust.

“It is wrong that people who have never planted coffee are earning more than genuine farmers who have invested their time and resources in this crop. These cartels must be dismantled to protect our farmers,” Wetang’ula said, calling for urgent reforms to restore accountability in coffee cooperative societies.

He noted that several once-strong cooperatives had been compromised by individuals acting against farmers’ interests, undermining efforts to revive the sector.

The Speaker urged farmers to take advantage of recent government interventions aimed at revitalising coffee farming, noting that prices had risen significantly from KSh20 to KSh160 per kilogramme presenting an opportunity to improve livelihoods.

Bungoma County has an estimated 38,000 coffee farmers cultivating about 6,900 hectares, positioning the region as a strategic player in the national coffee value chain.

Wetang’ula also appealed to young people to seize the government’s decision to ease national identity card application requirements by acquiring the document and registering as voters ahead of the next general election.

He noted that Bungoma’s voter registration numbers do not reflect its status as Kenya’s third most populous county.

Senate Chief Whip and Bungoma Senator David Wakoli praised the Speaker’s leadership, urging residents and local leaders to rally behind him.

Senator Wakoli said Wetang’ula had effectively leveraged his position within the Kenya Kwanza administration to advance the region’s development agenda.

Leaders present at the burial included Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi and Bungoma County Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Nyongesa.