Full in-tray for Samboja, new Pyrethrum Processing Company chair

Former Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja has his work cut out in the revival of the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya (PPCK), initiated in 2021.

Samboja was appointed the chair of the PPCK board on May 23 by President William Ruto, five months after the company was earmarked for dissolution with the approval of the cabinet.

PPCK is among 49 state-owned companies whose operations were hanging on by a thread, having been forced to survive without government funding for the last two years.

The company has been operating at a negative capital of over Sh400 million, allegedly owes farmers and pensioners over Sh2 billion, and has numerous threatening court cases with saccos.

Speaking to The Standard, Acting Chief Executive Officer Carolyne Imbwaga admitted that the company can produce pyrethrum from 70,000 acres but currently produces from 5,000 acres.

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Imbwaga also admitted that the company was losing money when its assets were being managed by an agency and they had to take it over.

“Some of the company’s property have no title deeds and are prone to grabbing. We are fast-tracking the process of ensuring that properties without title deeds are processed,” she said.

Another issue that has affected the company is the fire to flowers stored at the silos because of their flammable characteristics. The same has affected the flower quality.

Late last month, the company made its first processing after a year of waiting. Imbwaga attributed the same to a lack of raw materials from farmers.

She said the company aims to process each day for nine months of the year, “The remaining three months can be used to maintain machines and reset," she said.

The company possesses assets estimated to be worth over Sh5 billion, including land and houses spread across 18 pyrethrum-growing counties. The company also owns machinery and motor vehicles.

Samboja, who visited the company plant in Nakuru on June 4, said they had a lot to do to ensure the company meets its potential.

He said that a new board of nine members had been set up and they had held their first meeting to deliberate on the way forward.

He dismissed claims that the company was facing dissolution, saying the government had stepped in to ensure the flower was saved.

“In the last weeks, we have processed over 110 metric tonnes of pyrethrum. The processing is not easy and it is still ongoing,” said Samboja.

He said that farmers had started to bring in their flowers but urged more farmers to grow pyrethrum, praising it as a unique and profitable crop.

He noted that from the Pareto cash crop, farmers can fetch between Sh420 to Sh720, depending on the quality of the flowers they produce.

“A county like West Pokot can grow quality flowers and help develop their county, farmers would get their dues and the government will earn its tax,” he said.

Samboja said they had several retail shops that have been put in place, and others will be put up in Nairobi in the coming weeks to help sell the products.

He said they discussed and came up with a big plan for the company, but admitted that the same could not be achieved immediately.

Samboja challenged the board management, the government, and farmers to partner in a bid to ensure the crop is saved.

“The journey has started today and the future looks bright, but we have to work hard and pull up our socks. It has to be the management, board, farmers and government,” he said.

Imbwaga added that the company was dealing with nature’s insecticides and as the government looks at food security, they also need to look at food safety.

“This will start with our organic product, derived from pyrethrum flowers. We want to increase our product in the market, to address the issue of safe pesticides for use in the horticultural industries, animal health and public health,” she said.