Farmers from the North Rift region want the government to return the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) back to Kenyan dairy farmers.
The company, which is now owned by the national government, is in the process of being privatised.
The farmers want the Sh547 million they were to be paid by the government to remain with the government and used to buy back KCC.
Speaking during a forum with North Rift leaders on Monday, Mr Phillip Bitok, the National Chairman of KCC, said the privatisation of the company would lead to the farmers losing market for their milk.
Bitok said privatising the company would also lead to farmers losing their power to control milk prices to the private owners.
“KCC ownership should be taken back to the farmers of this country. We don’t want that Sh547 million that they owed us. We want to own the company. Most of us have had and still have a lot of shares in it,” said Mr Bitok.
He also urged farmers to start selling their milk to KCC since it has already been reopened and has a new managing director.
He said their prices are good and payments to farmers will now be made before the 15th day of every month.
He said KCC will soon start processing UHT, Mala, powder milk as well as creating job opportunities to the jobless youth in the country.