Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, a fiery critic of the government's agricultural policies, has made a rare about-turn to applaud the state's coffee sector reforms. The lawmaker now argues that coffee farming has become more lucrative than white-collar jobs, citing payouts that dwarf the average Kenyan salary.

It is not often that the Githunguri legislator sings from the same hymn sheet as the executive. Yet, following a series of payouts to farmers in her constituency, Wamuchomba has declared the coffee reforms a resounding success. Her endorsement comes after farmers at the Komothai Cooperative Society received a rate of Sh112 per kilogram, a figure she claims restores dignity to the profession.

The "Coffee vs. Salary" Debate

"We have been lying to our children that success is found in an office in Nairobi," Wamuchomba told a gathering of farmers. "I have done the math. A farmer with 20,000 bushes earning Sh112 per kilo is taking home millions. Which manager in Westlands is earning that?"

The MP's analysis is rooted in a recent report she shared on social media, breaking down the economics of the trade:

• The Payouts: Recent payments have seen Mbuni (unprocessed coffee) fetch as high as Sh208 per kilo, while the main crop averaged Sh112.
• The Comparison: Wamuchomba argued that even with production costs deducted, a serious small-scale farmer can net over Sh200,000 a month tax-free—far outstripping the starting salaries of most university graduates.
• The Policy Shift: She attributed the turnaround to the removal of "cartels" and brokers who previously siphoned off profits before they reached the farm gate.

A Call for Youth to Return to the Farm

The MP's statement is a strategic signal to the youth in her constituency, many of whom have abandoned ancestral land for menial jobs in the city or the Middle East. "Why go to suffer in the desert when your gold is here in the soil?" she posed.

However, she maintained her warning shot to the Ministry of Agriculture. "We are happy with the price, but we are watching the fertilizer," she added, referencing previous scandals involving adulterated farm inputs. "The President must ensure that what goes into the soil is as pure as the money coming into the pocket."

As the sector recovers, the challenge now shifts to sustainability. High prices are good, but consistent payments and subsidized, quality inputs are what will keep the youth on the farm.