Kenya Meat Commission
By Anchor Reporter
KENYA Meat Commission(KMC) is teetering to collapse even as new debtors hold its over Sh 250m in uncollected debt.Yet, the commission is on its knees as it beseeches the State to inject yet another fortune into the plant to save it from sinking.
The state of affairs at KMC has prompted Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei to issue a 14 day ultimatum to KMC board of management to recover the cash owed to the giant meat processor.
Sources say the debt is a statement of inefficiency and administrative disorder that may soon eat up KMC, and an indication that its management is due for overhaul.
The state of affairs that KMC in in are so pathetic that the minister chose to give the meat plant a shock treatment of an impromptu visit.
He gave the Managing Commissioner Isak Hassan three months to turn around the plant into profit making. How this is to be done with the current management is the biggest riddle.
Koskei said the plant has an obligation to deliver to Kenyans and come up with mechanisms for livestock farmers to benefit from their sweat and ensure the company remains competitive in both local and international markets.
He admitted that the plant currently faces the challenge of outmoded technology, debts, unsteady supply of animals among other challenges.
KMC was revived by former President Mwai Kibaki’s administration in 2006 after injecting Sh5 billion.
Mr Hassan said the company is exporting 10 tonnes of meat daily to the Middle East. He however pointed out that the company is facing financial constraints.
As the minister toured the plant, farmers who have gone for weeks without being paid for their animals’ delivery barricaded the KMC offices demanding to be addressed by the minister.
Police were called in to keep the farmers at bay to avoid them from interfering with the minister’s visit.
They claim the KMC management has failed to pay them as per their contracts with some claiming to have lost their loan acquired Lorries to respective banks.
