Muka Mukuu Farmers officials ousted over alleged Sh250million fraud

Members of Muka Mukuu Farmers Co-operative Society in Machakos County have ousted their management committee and installed an interim leadership team amid allegations of financial mismanagement running into hundreds of millions of shillings.

The shareholders, mainly elderly farmers, accused the society’s officials of misappropriating funds and presiding over the questionable sale of land and leasing of stone-mining quarries belonging to the society.

During a special meeting at the society’s Donyo Sabuk headquarters, the members suspended the management committee chaired by Dominic Mutuku and appointed Supervisory Committee chairman Mutisya Mutevu to oversee the affairs of the society until fresh elections are held.

The members later locked the society’s premises and hired private security guards to prevent the ousted officials from accessing the offices.

Speaking on behalf of the shareholders, Peter Muasya accused local co-operative officials of colluding with the management to fleece the society.

Muasya claimed the society was losing up to Sh250 million every month through what he termed illegal leasing of stone-mining quarries.

“Under the watch of co-operative officers, the society has been losing Sh250 million every month through illegal leasing of stone-mining quarries. We want action taken against the current management and the wayward ministry officials,” Muasya said.

The shareholders appealed to Co-operatives and Marketing Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya to intervene, recover society assets and ensure a change of leadership.

They also alleged that plots belonging to the society had been sold illegally to non-members, including about 4,400 acres forming a buffer zone between the settled area and Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park.

The allegations were dismissed by Mutuku, who described the attempted ouster as a witch-hunt orchestrated by former management officials and an alleged cartel seeking to take control of the society.

“These are baseless claims since we have turned around the society and introduced sound management systems which have seen members earning dividends every year,” Mutuku said.

Former management committee member Constantino Mutua, however, called for an independent audit, alleging that the society was losing Sh16 million daily through reckless expenditure.

He said annual dividends averaging Sh3,000 per member were insignificant compared with the alleged losses, with the management unable to account for more than Sh200 million allegedly lost every month.

Police officers deployed to provide security watched as the shareholders marched around the compound chanting slogans but did not intervene.