Armed raiders stormed a coffee factory in Kirinyaga County’s Mwea East sub-county late Tuesday, violently tying and injuring two night watchmen before escaping with 26 bags of coffee cherries worth KSh1.8 million. The attack by over 10 armed individuals highlights gaps in security measures critical to protecting Kenya’s coffee industry.
The injured guards were found bound and injured, underscoring vulnerabilities at a facility pivotal to the local economy in a region reliant on cooperative farming. The factory—located in Kirinyaga’s prime coffee-producing zone—had stored large quantities of cherries awaiting processing. Strained storage capacities may have made it an easy target, though managers haven’t confirmed this link. Stolen cherries, still unprocessed, risk quality decline, disrupting both immediate sales and the cooperative’s marketing plans. Farmers now face financial setbacks after the loss of KSh1.8 million in potential revenue.
Armed attackers overran a Kirinyaga coffee factory, injuring guards and stealing KSh1.8 million in unprocessed cherries, exposing critical vulnerabilities in the region’s cooperative farming infrastructure.
Security breaches at agricultural sites remain a growing concern. Local cooperatives and leaders are urging better protection for storage facilities, fearing similar raids could destabilize operations. The attack’s timing adds pressure as Kirinyaga prepares its coffee for auctions, with farmers depending on earnings from the upcoming season. Injured security staff and shaken morale compound operational challenges, possibly delaying workflows.
Kirinyaga’s coffee sector supports roughly 120,000 farmers through cooperatives. The county government recently prioritized building a larger warehouse to reduce post-harvest losses, aiming to amplify earnings by enabling direct sales. The raid follows weeks of farmers’ protests against proposed regulatory changes to coffee trading slated for court hearings later this month. Previous seasons saw cooperatives paying farmers up to KSh149 per kilo, but thefts like Tuesday’s threaten progress. Regulatory disputes and farmer protests have already strained the sector, adding urgency to stabilization efforts.
Authorities are investigating the raid but haven’t named suspects or made arrests. Police have appealed for public tips to trace the stolen coffee, urging residents to report suspicious activity near storage facilities. County officials reiterated plans to tighten security and support farmers through policy reforms. Deputy County Commissioner demonstrated responsiveness during past protests, signaling commitment. However, the incident underscores the risks cooperatives face amid delays in infrastructure projects.
Long-term goals to improve storage and direct marketing now clash with immediate security needs. While Kirinyaga’s coffee sector remains resilient, addressing these dual challenges will determine whether farmers can sustain high returns in an increasingly volatile environment.
