KPCU mills in three counties set for upgrade

Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU) mills in Kirinyaga, Nairobi and Meru counties are set for refurbishment. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said the facilities will be available for use by coffee societies and estate owners at a fee.

“In our budget we have factored an allocation for refurbishing the mills, warehouses and laboratories. The laboratory will ensure testing for coffee is done properly. We want to repair these warehouses even for other uses. Already the railway (Nairobi-Sagana-Nanyuki) is being rehabilitated,” Munya said.

Munya said those using the facilities will only be charged a reasonable fee, an amount that caters for the basic minimum required to run the mill.

Speaking during a meeting with representatives of 15 Coffee Cooperative Societies from Kirinyaga on Friday at New KCPU mills in Sagana, Munya said a firm that had already leased the KPCU facilities for milling their parchment will be allowed to continue operating, alongside others interested in using the mills.

On the Coffee Revitalisation Programme, Munya said eight counties in the Mt Kenya region that account for 70 per cent of the national coffee production will benefit from a Sh1.5b fund. The eight include Machakos, Murang’a, Meru, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu, Kiambu and Tharaka Nithi counties