Peter Wambugu Kago at his apple farm in Ihwa village in Nyeri county. He has been farming for several years but was not aware that he was to pay levies to the county.
Peter Wambugu is some farming hero of sorts thanks to his lucrative apple farm in Laikipia County.
But the better part of last week he was in the news for the wrong reasons after failing to pay the county government taxes prompting a social media storm.
The Laikipia county government through the Finance Act 20-21 was arresting rate defaulters for failing to pay various levies and Wambugu was one of the parties who found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
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The rates demanded from the residents are not uniform as those managing huge enterprises like exclusive hotels, flower farms and wholesale shops. Wambugu's farm was categorised as a large establishment.
The County Revenue Board arrested Wambugu in Ngobit, Laikipia Central Sub County last week over failure to comply with some of the regulations. Wambugu is one of the prominent farmers growing apple seedlings and runs a demonstration farm where visitors pay Sh2,000 per visit.
The Laikipia Finance Act, empowers ward administrators to identify potential revenue areas through monthly reports to the revenue board.
The issue with Wambugu started in March this year after the county revenue officials moved to inspect activities at his farm and spotted the legal gaps. The farmer started the venture in 2009 without a single business permit as his operation was still small, but over time it grew exponentially attracting revenue collectors.
Following his arrest, Wambugu was booked at Ngobit Police Station and released on a Sh10,000 bond.
But when the news broke, there was confusion especially on social media because the message was being spread that he was the one aggrieved.
That time, Wambugu said it was unethical for the county government to introduce the regulations without alerting the public.
Paid a fine
He defended himself saying he has been farming for the past four years and was not aware of the regulations but the county government insisted that the law was very clear. But after the county stood its ground, Wambugu made an about-turn and confessed to his wrongs.
“This morning we agreed with the county government that I pay the levy as per the regulation at Sh32,000 and I apply for the license,” said Wambugu upon release last week.
But the law enforcers insisted he will only be off the hook after he issued an apology for allegedly tarnishing the name of the county government on social media. He eventually earned his freedom after writing an apology.
Agriculture and Livestock Executive Wangari Wachira said the matter was blown out of proportion through social media.
Wachira said Wambugu was arrested by the revenue department because of other issues not related to the cess.
“The farmers are obligated to pay the revenue to the government as per the regulations,” she said.
Chairperson at the County Revenue Board Alice Kimemia said the matter was resolved after the farmer apologised to the enforcement team following last week's incident in Ngobit.
“The matter has been resolved and the farmer has paid the required fees to the county government," said Ms Kimemia.
Wambugu story
Wambugu started developing his own apple varieties after doing some extensive research on apple propagation.
So far, he has created eight apple varieties, which he grows on his vast farm in Ihwa village nestled between Kinunga and Ihururu Hills in Nyeri County.
“I was always fascinated by apples. They are so nutritious yet so expensive because most of them are imported from South Africa and Israel. I always wondered why we could not grow our own yet the environment is cool?” Wambugu told Smart Harvest at a past interview.
He did his research and discovered that the apples, which are imported are grown using harsh chemicals.
“I also learnt that apple trees from Israel were susceptible to disease and they would take up to two years to mature. I was challenged as a farmer to create an alternative,” he shares.
So the next question was where to get the fruit trees?
“I heard stories from my village mates about apple trees, hidden in the forest by the Mau Mau fighters to provide them with food. I went into the forest to search for them,” Wambugu explained.
He found the apple trees and uprooted them and went to plant them on his dad’s farm.
“Out of curiosity, I grafted them with the Israeli variety that was already on my dad’s farm. I was excited to see the apple tree seedlings thriving and after only nine months, it had matured and bore fruits, which were more than thrice the size of ordinary apples in the market,” Wambugu says.
He sold the apples to the locals and they loved it. Within no time, big shots like Kenya Agricultural Research Livestock Organisation (Karlo) officials heard of his invention they paid his farm a visit.
Karlo officials were so impressed, they named the apple variety ‘Wambugu apple’. And since then, his fortunes changed as he keeps coming up with new varieties. His apples are so much on demand, he is the major supplier to supermarkets, hotels and institutions.
“The apples are on demand for two reasons — their size and because they are organic. I also do not use any chemicals be it pesticide or fertiliser,” Wambugu says.
