Africa-Press – Kenya. Mathira Member of Parliament Eric Wamumbi, who is the area representative for the impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on Saturday, slammed the ousted embattled politician over his advice to the lawmakers from Mt Kenya regarding the coffee sector.
In a statement, Wamumbi, who has been a critic of Gachagua despite their earlier blossoming friendship, lashed out at the former DP over remarks that the latter made urging leaders from his region to use the same speed they used in impeaching him, to attend to development needs.
According to Wamumbi, Gachagua allegedly planned to swindle money meant for coffee farmers therefore making it hard for them to embark on programs such as coffee reforms.
The first time MP revealed that some companies were taking advantage of farmers from Mt Kenya which Gachagua was aware of despite his campaigns towards the plight of farmers.
‘’H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, the reason why we can not pass the coffee bill with speed as you want is we must first deal with all the plans you had to steal coffee farmers’ money,’’ Wamumbi stated.
‘’The company that is buying all Nyeri coffee, you know about it,’’ he added.
The lawmaker also linked the closing of Mathira Coffee Millers to the former DP, maintaining that Gachagua had a vested interest in the sector.
Further, the MP revealed that there were schemes the former DP was aware of, where farmers were being conned extra amounts of money on their produce.
According to Wamumbi, the monies were being diverted to pockets of private individuals despite the campaigns aimed at helping coffee farmers from the region.
“The reason Mathira Coffee Millers was closed is so that you can have all the control over the sale of coffee. You know that Ksh3 per kilo on every Nyeri coffee farmer was being diverted,’’ Wamumbi claimed.
The former Gachagua ally, further stated that for them to accomplish the development needs of the constituents of Mt Kenya as the ousted leader demanded, they have to embark on a clean-up of the mess before they can make some legislative changes to address the plight of the farmers.
Wamumbi’s response came after Gachagua took a swipe at the members of the National Assembly, advising them to rush the approval of the Coffee Bill that was tabled before Parliament in 2023 in the same manner they pushed his impeachment.
“The speed they used to impeach me, let them use the same speed to pass the Coffee Bill. Let it be passed and be gazetted after presidential ascent. I want to urge Mt Kenya leaders who impeached me to use the same speed and efficiency to pass the Coffee Bill 2023 and Cooperative Bill 2023,” Gachagua commented.
He also asked President William Ruto to scale the fight on illicit brew, maintaining that he would not interfere with him, despite his ouster.
“That is why I want to ask those who are currently in power about the work Rigathi Gachagua did in two years, fighting against illicit brew to save our children, even if you do not want me, let the work continue, to help our children, our sons were into alcohol and we did a lot of work to help them,” Gachagua asserted.
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