Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua made shocking allegations during a recent interview on the show of a local TV station, claiming that his late brother, Nderitu Gachagua, was poisoned by a dangerous and well-funded coffee cartel.
Speaking after a two-day coffee summit in Meru, Gachagua expressed his family's belief that this poisoning led to his brother's deteriorating health and subsequent demise.
“Our family believes, and we know the late Nderitu Gachagua was poisoned by those people,” Gachagua claimed.
“And since then, a very healthy person started becoming sickly and we believe these people harmed him."
Gachagua, who is determined to combat the stranglehold of the coffee cartel on Kenyan farmers, stressed that despite the risks, the government remains committed to re-establishing profitability within the sector.
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He revealed that the cartel, operating in collusion with dubious government operatives, has been known to bribe high-ranking officials to maintain its dominance.
"The farmer is paid in shillings, although the coffee is sold abroad in dollars. The farmer loses a further Sh6 or 7 due to exchange rates because this industry has been seized by very sneaky people who are very well-moneyed," Gachagua disclosed during the interview.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, Gachagua emphasized that only the president and himself, backed by their enhanced security and resources, can lead the battle against these dangerous cartels.
"This war cannot be won by governors; this can only be won by the DP and the president. These people are dangerous and can even kill you," Gahagua stated,
To tackle the issue head-on, Gachagua revealed that President William Ruto assigned him the task of leading the fight against the cartels.
“The president assigned me the task of leading these people because at least I have more resources including security because these people are not good people,“ Gachagu said.
He also mentioned that several Cabinet Secretaries, including CS Moses Kuria, Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi, and Co-operatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development CS Simon Chelugui, have been mobilized to join the campaign.
During the interview, Gachagua made another astonishing claim, stating that the coffee cartels attempted to bribe Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi with a substantial Sh30 million shortly after Ruto announced his cabinet.
"They said the money was from these cartels and that it was a welcome gift to him," Gachagua added.
In response to the recent exposure of the cartels, Gachagua shared that security measures have been reinforced to ensure the safety of the Embu Governor and whistleblower.
He also disclosed that the cartel members, desperate to protect their interests, resorted to offering bribes to lawmakers in central Kenya.
"After they were outed, they spent the next day trying to bribe our leaders in order to vouch for them. There is one who has been very vocal, and we believe they may have been bribed. We are investigating," Gachagua concluded.
The shocking revelations by Gachagua have shed light on the sinister operations of the coffee cartel and the devastating impact it has had on Kenyan farmers.
As the government intensifies efforts to combat this menace, the nation awaits the resolution of this high-stakes battle, with hopes for a brighter future for the coffee sector.
