Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba Sounds Alarm on Overburdened Primary Production Units
Member of Parliament for Githunguri, Gathoni Wamuchomba, has raised serious concerns over the financial strain being imposed on Kenya’s primary production factories, including tea buying centers, coffee pulping stations, coffee millers, fresh produce preparation centers, abattoirs, and milk collection centers.
According to MP Wamuchomba, the government’s introduction of levies, coupled with high electricity bills, is forcing many of these essential production units to shut down operations, threatening livelihoods and food security.
The MP cited the Standards Levy Order 2025, gazetted under Legal Notice No. 136 dated 8th August 2025, which requires all manufacturers—including fresh food aggregation, packhouses, and factories—to remit 0.2% of monthly turnover to the Kenya Bureau of Standards, subject to a maximum of Ksh 4 million, net of VAT, excise duty, and applicable discounts.
“Countless factories cannot meet their power bills this year,” said MP Wamuchomba. “Adding multiple government levies—on top of county fees for trade licenses, NEMA permits, health certificates, advertisement fees, and workplace safety regulations—is stifling the growth of our primary production sector.”
MP Wamuchomba called for urgent government intervention, suggesting that primary production units should be classified as Export Processing Zones (EPZs) to receive growth stimulation, coordinated support, and multi-agency facilitation to ensure their survival and expansion.
“The obsession with imposing levies on already overburdened sectors is counterproductive,” she said. “Killing primary producers will not spur economic growth. Aspiring to emulate Singapore without strategic support for our industries is a fallacy.”
The MP urged policymakers to rethink regulatory approaches, prioritize the survival and growth of primary production factories, and adopt a coordinated, growth-focused framework that can transform Kenya’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors
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