The Kenyan High Court has suspended the government's move to lift the ban on export of raw macadamia and the decision to grant exclusive exportation rights to nine processors and traders. Justice John Chigiti suspended the decision by Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi after a farmer complained that by granting nine processors and dealers the exclusive rights to export raw macadamia and leaving other players in the industry amounts to discrimination.
The judge certified the case by Joseph Ndung’u as urgent and directed him to serve the court documents upon the CS, Attorney General Justin Muturi and nine nut processing companies.
Ndung'u said the CS in a letter on July 7, 2023, lifted the ban on exportation of in-shell macadamia nuts to address prices crisis. However, the letter allowed nine companies- Fair Nut Company Ltd, Nicemart Traders & General Suppliers and Exotic EPZ, the exclusive rights to export the nuts for a period of 90 days from July 17 to October 16. Others granted the exportation rights are Nutri Nuts and Fruits, Edenswin Traders Ltd, OCM Consulting Ltd, Lenana Processors Company Ltd and Kamil Packers Ltd.
Source: nation.africa