Makueni Fruit Processing Plant Grinds To A Halt As County Officials Exposed As Part Of Mango Cartels Frustrating Farmers

MAKUENI COUNTY – A damning scandal has erupted at the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant, exposing a sophisticated cartel involving county officials and ward representatives who have left hundreds of farmers counting millions in losses as tonnes of mangoes rot in the fields.

At the heart of the controversy is Nzaui/Kilili/Kalamba MCA Francis Mutuku, who now faces intense scrutiny after admitting he personally supplied nine tonnes of mangoes to the county-run processing facility while chairing the Agriculture Committee charged with overseeing the same operation.

The explosive revelation has triggered a fresh probe by a joint committee of the County Assembly, with Speaker Douglas Mbilu directing both the Public Accounts and Public Investments committees to unravel what he termed an elaborate scheme that saw unknown suppliers deliver 240 tonnes of mangoes within 48 hours after the factory mysteriously shut its doors.

“It is impossible for an organisation to supply 240 tonnes of mangoes in 48 hours. We need an explanation on where the suppliers sourced their mangoes,” Mbilu declared on Tuesday, fuelling speculation that some groups may have illegally imported the fruit from neighbouring Tanzania.

The scandal has paralysed operations at the Sh500 million facility, with CEO Joseph Kioko suspended pending investigations into what insiders describe as systemic procurement irregularities that have devastated the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the county.

The crisis began when a bumper harvest this season saw farmers pin their hopes on the county processing plant as their primary buyer, only to watch in horror as the factory closed barely two days after opening, catching thousands unprepared and vulnerable.

For model farmer Phyllis Nduva, chairperson of the Makueni County Fruit Processors Cooperative Society, this season has been catastrophic. She managed to sell only 12 tonnes compared to her usual 60 tonnes annually, with most farmers left to give away their produce or watch helplessly as it decomposed in their farms.

“This is our worst year,” a dejected Nduva told The Star from her Mwaani village home.

The scandal has exposed a murky web of favouritism, with the factory awarding contracts to seven cooperative societies to purchase mangoes from farmers at Sh19 per kilogram while promising to buy from the cooperatives at Sh24 per kilo.

However, investigations reveal that most contracted organisations lacked the capital for harvesting and transportation, creating a breeding ground for exploitation where wealthy farmers and well-connected traders delivered mangoes directly to the factory, earning Sh22 per kilo while sidelining poorer farmers.

Former Kalamba Farmers’ Cooperative Society chairman Titus Mukula articulated the frustration gripping the farming community. “We were supposed to supply 10 tonnes. The factory closed its doors when we had supplied barely two tonnes. Who supplied our quota?” he demanded.

The timing of the factory’s closure has raised more questions than answers. Truckers reported incurring massive costs after waiting for days to offload cargo, with some forced to dump rotting mangoes in neighbouring farmlands as the stench of decaying fruit engulfed the processing plant.

The scandal has exposed the extent of corruption in Makueni’s agricultural sector, with whispers in the corridors of power suggesting that some county officials deliberately orchestrated the crisis to benefit cronies and associates at the expense of genuine farmers.

County insiders claim the Agriculture Committee, under Mutuku’s leadership, had rejected oversight mechanisms that would have prevented the chaos, with the MCA now accused of using his position to influence factory operations for personal gain.

The plot thickened when MCAs rejected a report tabled by the Agriculture Committee, citing clear conflict of interest after Mutuku admitted supplying mangoes to the very facility his committee was meant to regulate.

“The leadership of the Agriculture Committee should cooperate with the joint committee on this matter,” Speaker Mbilu directed, signalling the gravity of the allegations.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior has moved swiftly to contain the political fallout, dismissing allegations of mango importation while announcing an increase in the procurement budget from Sh13 million to Sh25 million, though critics argue the move is too little, too late.

The governor promised a comprehensive audit of how cooperative societies have been purchasing mangoes, warning that anyone found culpable would face the full force of the law.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili has called for national government intervention, drawing parallels with support provided to tea, coffee and sugarcane farmers. “It is high time the national government came to the rescue of mango farmers the way it supports other cash crops,” she said.

The crisis has been exacerbated by a deliberate county campaign that discouraged farmers from selling to traditional middlemen, with senior officials promising that the factory would absorb all produce. That pledge has now returned to haunt both farmers and county leadership.

The scandal has reignited long-standing complaints about corruption and mismanagement in Makueni’s county government, with opposition voices questioning the integrity of procurement processes across all county operations.

Political observers note that this is not the first time Mutuku has been embroiled in controversy. The vocal MCA has previously been at the centre of political storms, including disputes over county assembly allowances and leadership wrangles that have fractured the house.

As investigations intensify, the joint committee is expected to table its findings on Monday, with farmers, traders and the wider agricultural community anxiously awaiting answers about who benefited from their misery.

Paul Muthama, chairman of the Makueni County Fruits Development and Marketing Authority, announced the suspension of CEO Kioko following what he described as significant procedural and performance gaps requiring corrective action. Marketing manager Agnes Kitili has been appointed acting CEO.

“This decision follows a recent internal review that identified significant procedural and performance gaps requiring further assessment and corrective action,” Muthama said.

The scandal has exposed the vulnerability of Makueni’s mango value chain, with experts warning that unless systemic reforms are implemented, farmers will continue to bear the brunt of poor planning, corruption and mismanagement.

For now, as heaps of rotting mangoes lie scattered around the processing plant and desperate farmers count their losses, the question on everyone’s lips remains: who are the faceless cartels that have hijacked Makueni’s fruit processing dream, and will anyone be held accountable for this agricultural catastrophe?

The joint committee’s report on Monday promises to shed light on these questions, though many farmers remain sceptical that justice will be served in a county where political connections often trump accountability.

As one bitter farmer put it, “We were promised heaven but we have been delivered to hell. Our mangoes are rotting while somebody somewhere is laughing all the way to the bank.”