A tobacco firm in Oruba-Ragana ward, Suna West constituency

Tobacco farmers wants Materminf Tobacco Kenya to pay them over Sh100million of deliveries since January.
The company had earlier been banned ut of Migori by the governor Okoth Obado.

Farmers through Kenya Tobacco Farmers Association termed the company’s move as unethical behavior because of the existing regulatory vacuum in the current CAP 321(Tobacco growing and marketing rules) which farmers now want changed for the betterment of the industry.

Recently, Obado said that he will ban MTK from operating in the county because of their unwarranted and unethical business.

But a manager only identified as Kirimania insisted they will continue to operate.

Farmers are also not receiving bonuses at the end of the season because of the highhandedness of the tobacco companies who only reap from farmers their hard earned sweat.

“Tobacco prices are also very low compared with other African countries because there is no regulator and the national government only receives cigarette taxes-sin tax, without protecting the farmers from exploitation by the multinationals,” Ketofa chairman Agustine Mwita said.

According to Mwita Kenya pays the highest grade only khs 225 per kilo while other African countries like Zimbabwe pay an equivalent of kshs 460 per kilo.

“We also call upon the governors to immediately form a tobacco commission that will license the investors and check on such errant investors like MTK” Says the national KETOFA chairman Augustine Mwita.

The counties should also look for other investors or partners to invest in the lucrative sector because the multinationals are not assisting the farmers in the pro-poor concept of rural development.

“Some companies are boasting of making millions of profit which is deposited outside Kenya with complete disregard of the suffering farmers” says Mr. mwita.

“Now that Agriculture has been fully devolved to the counties, the county governments should move with speed and use the powers conferred to them by the constitution and the CROPS ACT to save the farmers from these greedy investors.” Insists Mwita