A storm is brewing over the fate of a multimillion-shilling coffee project in Nandi County after Senator Kiprotich Cherargei raised alarm over what he described as a failed investment plagued by structural defects and poor oversight.
In a statement following a visit to the Nandi County Coffee Milling Factory in Chebonet, Tinderet, Cherargei said the facility—funded by the World Bank at a cost of Sh60 million—was unable to function optimally due to construction flaws flagged in an audit.
“The factory was structurally defective and could not function as intended, yet the same maladministration proceeded to operate it,” Cherargei said, citing findings from the Office of the Auditor-General Kenya.
The senator questioned how county officials approved and operationalized the project despite clear red flags, arguing that the venture had failed to deliver value for money to residents and, more critically, to struggling coffee farmers in the region.
The milling plant was intended to boost local coffee processing capacity, reduce post-harvest losses and increase earnings for farmers by cutting reliance on external millers. However, Cherargei said the reality on the ground tells a different story—one of stalled promise and squandered public funds.
“This was meant to empower farmers, but instead it has become an example of waste and mismanagement,” he said.
The revelations are likely to intensify scrutiny on county spending and procurement processes, particularly for projects funded through international partnerships. Questions are also emerging over accountability, with calls for those responsible for the project’s implementation to be held to account.
Nandi County officials had yet to respond publicly to the claims by the time of publication.
For local farmers, the controversy adds to long-standing frustrations over delayed reforms in the coffee sector, where hopes of improved earnings often collide with governance challenges and stalled infrastructure projects.
