Gichugu MP Gichimu Opposes Direct Payouts, Warns of Threat to Coffee Cooperatives
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By John Kariuki
Gichugu MP Robert Gichimu has sounded the alarm over the proposed Direct Settlement System (DSS), warning that bypassing coffee cooperatives in favor of direct mobile money payments could harm farmers in the long run.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with cooperative leaders, Gichimu said cooperatives offer much more than just payment channels—they provide credit, subsidized inputs, and critical support that individual farmers would lose under the new model.
“Farmers thrive when organized. Dismantling cooperatives without proper consultation risks destabilizing the very structures that have supported them for decades,” Gichimu cautioned.
The DSS, which aims to pay farmers directly, has already triggered protests in Kerugoya. Critics argue it could fragment oversight, expose farmers to exploitation, and disrupt input distribution systems.
Gichimu also criticized a proposal to restrict cooperative AGMs to elected delegates, calling it “undemocratic and open to manipulation.” He insisted that all farmers deserve a say in how their societies are run.
Calling for inclusive, data-driven reforms, Gichimu urged Parliament to safeguard cooperatives and ensure farmers are central to any coffee sector overhaul. “We must not sacrifice stability in the name of reform,” he said.
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