Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and Deputy President William Ruto have strongly differed over the proposed ban on export of raw coffee.
This is after Ruto urged governors from coffee growing regions to back the ban as a way of supporting local farmers.
"We want coffee, tea and horticulture to be processed before export. The habit of trading our produce as raw materials must stop. We will create jobs for our youth and increase farmers’ earnings,” Mr Ruto said.
The DP made the remarks at General Kassam Stadium during Gichugu MP Gichimu Githinji homecoming ceremony.
While speaking to journalists after the event, Waiguru said that the problem facing the coffee sector was marketing.
“I am not opposed to processing of coffee but there must be a market first or else farmers will suffer huge losses since the shelf life of processed coffee is very short,” he said.
Elsewhere, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria called on Waiguru to back the ban by setting aside Sh1 billion for the construction of a coffee processing factory.
“We will process our coffee and if they refuse to buy it, we will use it as cattle feed. We must bring to an end exploitation by foreigners,” Mr Kuria said.
The government has maintained that the ban will enable farmers to reap more benefits.