For many years, the pyrethrum crop was the anchor of Nakuru’s economy as the major export product for the county.

Pyrethrum production which was the country’s fourth foreign exchange earner after coffee, tea and tourism generating about Sh 4 billion annually reached its peak in Kenya at 18,000 tonnes in 1993 from 200,000 farmers.

Nakuru being the main pyrethrum growing county had most of its households growing and depending on the crop as their main economic activity.

All the farmers would deliver their crop to the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya in Nakuru which would process and package the refined crop for export to global markets.

Farmers holding pyrethrum flowers.

Photo credit: Mercy Kihugu/Mtaa Wangu

However, the sector blossomed until sometime in mid-1990s when it started struggling and production started falling.

Jeremiah Langat, 69, is one of the pyrethrum farmers who were affected by the death of the pyrethrum sub sector.

He inherited the farm from his parents who were among the major suppliers to the pyrethrum processing company in 1960s and ‘70s.

Planting on his four acres of land in Mau summit, Mr Langat said the pyrethrum was his main source of income which he used to support his family’s needs and sponsor his children’s education.

He, however regrets the decline in the subsector something he blames on the government for failing to rescue the company in time.

He says things started going south in the 1990’s when the company stopped paying farmers which he says frustrated many farmers who depended on it for survival.

“Farmers would go up to three months without being paid their money which made the farming unsustainable. Other farmers opted to shift to other crops after losing hope in the pyrethrum,” said Mr Langat.

Farmers blamed the collapse of pyrethrum farming to the mismanagement of the Pyrethrum Processing Company based in Nakuru.

Photo credit: COURTESY

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With many farmers denouncing pyrethrum farming, the supply to the company reduced jeopardizing the operations.

The farmer attributes the fall in the pyrethrum farming to the poor leadership at the company which saw many funds misappropriated and company assets looted.

“We also had a monopoly company which denied farmers options on where to sell their crops,” said Mr Langat.

He revealed that the farmers lost millions of shillings in form of unpaid debts as well as investments in form of shares to the company.

Mr Justus Monda Mochache a farmer and former chairperson Pyrethrum Growers Association claims to have seen the fall of the pyrethrum subsector from its dominant global market share of 80 percent to a paltry 2 percent.

Mr Justus Monda Mochache (in white), a farmer and former chairperson Pyrethrum Growers Association.

Photo credit: JOSEPH OPENDA/MTAA WANGU

Mr Monda argued that the main challenges include lack of improved seedlings, competition from the synthetic fiber and the mismanagement of the PPCK which is a state corporation which led to non-payment of farmers.

Following the fall, successive regimes have been making efforts in an attempt to revive the sector which has also been faced with numerous challenges.

The Nark government which was led by the former president the late Mwai kibaki came up with policies aimed at liberalizing the management of the sector from the monopoly state in a bid to encourage private sector players in the industry.

The implementation of the policy was however not much successful since the company being a parastatal had its management appointed by the government.

However, the devolution which saw the agriculture department being transferred to the county gave the counties a chance to pick three economic value chains for agricultural development. Nakuru picked pyrethrum as one of its three value chains.

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika (centre) during the ground breaking ceremony of Kentegra pyrethrum factory in Manera farm Gilgil.

Photo credit: MERCY KIHUGU/MTAA WANGU

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In addition, the global shift to the use of safe organic pesticides gave a boost to the revival effort as the pyrethrum remains the safest organic pesticide.

The entry of other private processors in the country is also a positive direction towards reviving the crop as it will encourage farmers to embark on pyrethrum growing since they will have options to the markets as well as have a say in the prices.

Among the private processors include, Kentegra, High Chem, Botanical extracts, Orion East Africa among others.

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Joseph Openda