Senator David Wakoli (right)with colleagues reviewing stakeholder submissions on the Bill at the Senate ….Photo/IP

PARLIAMENT, Nairobi, Kenya (IP)

 Bungoma Senator ,CBS David Wakoli has reaffirmed his support for the Agriculture Produce (Minimum Guaranteed Returns) Bill, Senate Bills No. 17 of 2025.

He termed it a transformative proposal aimed at protecting farmers from exploitation and ensuring fair, guaranteed returns for their produce.

Speaking at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, Wakoli said he participated in reviewing stakeholder submissions on the Bill, which seeks to establish a legal framework for structured pricing and income protection for farmers.

“This Bill is a game changer for our farmers,” Wakoli said. “It is aimed at protecting them from exploitation and ensuring fair, guaranteed returns for their produce.”

He added that he remains steadfast in championing policies that safeguard farmers’ livelihoods and strengthen the agricultural sector.

The Senate is currently considering views collected during public participation before the proposed law proceeds to the next legislative stage.

WESTERN KENYA FARMERS DECRY MIDDLEMEN EXPLOITATION

Separately, farmers across Western Kenya continue to report widespread exploitation by middlemen who buy produce at low farm-gate prices and later resell it at significantly higher rates.

In Sirisia, Bungoma County, tomato and bean farmer John Wanyonyi said brokers frequently take advantage of harvest gluts.

“When tomatoes are ready, they claim the market is flooded and offer very low prices,” he said. “You either sell at that price or watch your produce rot.”

Farmers growing Irish potatoes and carrots in the Mt. Elgon region report similar patterns.

Mary Chepkemoi, an Irish potato and carrot farmer, said lack of storage facilities forces them to sell quickly.

“They buy our potatoes cheaply during harvest and store them. After a few weeks, the same potatoes are sold back to traders and even to us at much higher prices,” she said.

Bean farmers also complain of price manipulation, particularly when brokers control transport and access to larger urban markets.

Avocado growers have reported opaque grading systems where middlemen determine quality and pricing unilaterally, often rejecting produce to justify lower payments.

Agricultural stakeholders say the cycle persists due to weak cooperative structures, limited access to direct markets, poor storage infrastructure and lack of enforceable price protections — leaving small-scale farmers vulnerable to seasonal price swings and broker dominance.

Many farmers argue that without structural reforms in agricultural marketing, exploitation will continue to erode profits and discourage production in key food-growing regions.