MT KENYA BLACK GOLD. LEST WE FORGET.

The backbone of KENYA'S economy is Agriculture , yes , this is undisputable fact. But time is ripe to  diversify. We must empower the cottage industry. Manufacturing , agro- processing and value addition. We must have an economy does not only rely on Agriculture alone. The climate change melee is here with us. Unpredictable weather and climatic patterns. Nowadays , it is difficult to predict which month we will receive high amount of rainfall that will necessitate crops to thrive well and finally the Country to have a bumper harvest. The traditional regions in Kenya which has been our food basket are struggling with unpredictable weather patterns. Regions in Rift Valley , Western and Central region have become the casualties. That's why , the government through the ministry of Agriculture must embrace irrigation as the best method to beat the unpredictable weather patterns and ensure the strategic grain reserve is full and that full security is fully guaranteed.

Allow me to narrow down to a crop that was traditionally a gold in central province since independence. A crop that made Farmers both large scale and peasant farmers to live a decent life. They did not struggle financially. A crop that made Farmers especially in Mūrang'a County to invest heavily in Nairobi City County. A crop that made in the 1980's and 90's , Mūrang'a Municipality to loan other municipalities because of the Revenue it was generating from that crop and farmers themselves. This crop is non other than , the COFFEE. It has been referred as the black gold for many years. For some of us who were brought up in a family where we had few coffee bushes , after the payments , we could notice because of the many goodies that would follow. Now as we speak , the Jubilee Government has started in earnest to reinvigorate the lost glory of this crop. Fact!!

Agriculture CS Hon Peter Munya has ensured that , this black gold which is widely grown in Mt Kenya region has regained it's lost glory. A glory that was struggled by the KANU regime under the late President Moi. In the 1980s and 90s , the KANU Government ensured it has strangled this crop. Why??? Central province was the face of opposition to his regime. Political parties like Ford Asili , Safina Party , Democratic Party etc stemmed from this region. Moi was advised the best way to cripple Mt Kenya region is to strangle them Economically. One of the ways was to kill the coffee farming. The process was started in earnest. The first casualties were the coffee co-operative unions in central Kenya. The central government under the supervision of President Moi ensured they were brought to their knees. The second casualty was the government subsidies the government was giving to coffee farmers through Coffee Board of Kenya. The KANU Government ensured that is done slow but gradual. The third casualty was the Kenya Planters Co-operative Union ( KPCU) . This was entrusted in marketing the coffee cherry for farmers. This was the last nail to be driven in the coffin of the miseries facing coffee farming in Kenya and especially in Mt Kenya region. That's how president Moi killed this BLACK GOLD of Mt Kenya region. 

Someone is determined to kill the coffee industry which President Uhuru Kenyatta Government is giving a new lease of life. Today , the coffee farmers are smiling all the way to thr bank. This isn't making some political quarters to be happy. They know once the Mt Kenya region resident is Economically stable through good returns of her produce , it will be very difficult to control her. Yes !!! Moi through sycophants like Kamotho , Kuria Kanyingī , Kariuki Chotara etc realized that and advised President Moi to do thr necessary. Today , the modern sycophants have been trooping at Karen but they have never talked about coffee , pyrethrum , cotton , potato , dairy farming etc , crops which are Mt Kenya region hegemon crops. They have been just taking their bellies and nothing more. Are this kind of people the region can entrust to negotiate on our behalf? How can even Ruto allow such a debate to reach in his desk. Once he can get power , the same book the late President Moi drafted on how to cripple Mt Kenya region Economically , he will definitely do that. The coffee , tea , potato , dairy farming ect which the current Government is reforming to ensure the farmer enjoys his/her seat will be hammered. Fact!!!

President Uhuru Kenyatta Government has done tremendously well to the coffee farming industry. The least coffee factory that paid for a kilo of coffee cherry was sh 105/ Kg. Yes!!! Now , imagine putting a regime that will water done all this gains. Under the Azimio la Umoja one Kenya Alliance coalition government , more reforms on coffee farming are in the offing. The smile in the faces of farmers will continue rekindling. The gains of their sweat will continue flowing in a superb manner. The only person President Uhuru Kenyatta can entrust to keep that fire burning is one Raila Odinga. That's why , Jubilee Party under President Uhuru is determined to negotiate effectively for the plight of coffee farmers. That's the painful truth. On the side, there is No deal because , it is tumbocrats who went to negotiate for the region . They have come home empty handed. A cloud of shame is hanging over their heads. But under the Azimio la Umoja , there will be a deal. That's the fact. Very soon , my Kenya region residents will know the truth , and that truth will set them free.