For decades, Sorwot Farmers Cooperative Society in Kericho County operated without electricity, forcing farmers to work within the limits of daylight and leaving the coffee processing facility vulnerable to insecurity.
The lack of reliable power also made it difficult for the cooperative to adopt modern equipment and digital systems, reducing efficiency and affecting the quality of the coffee produced.
However, the extension of electricity to the area marked a turning point, enabling the cooperative to modernize its operations, improve security, and create better conditions for farmers to process and market their coffee.
Paul Kosgei, chairman of Sorwot Farmers Cooperative Society, explained that the lack of electricity had made it difficult for the society to run its operations efficiently, forcing it to close early and compromising the quality of the coffee.
He said insecurity in the area also worsened the situation, making it difficult for farmers to process coffee late into the night.
“We would not have been able to make coffee almost all night because there was a time when everything would have been cut down,” Kosgei said.
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According to Kosgei, the lack of modern equipment also made it difficult for the society to keep up with farmers who increasingly demanded digital services.
He said the challenges affected the society’s ability to retain coffee and earn commissions, slowing its growth.
The situation changed after the area was connected to electricity, allowing the society to improve its operations and strengthen security at its facilities.
Kosgei said the society installed security lights and CCTV cameras, enabling staff to monitor coffee deliveries and improve accountability.
He added that electricity reduced the cost of running the coffee processing operations compared with using diesel generators.
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The society also moved fully to digital systems, allowing management to monitor activities and track coffee deliveries from its members.
“I could monitor everything, from the weight of member number one to the last member, number 2,300,” he said.
Kosgei said the improved systems helped restore farmers’ confidence in the cooperative, increasing coffee volumes and the number of employees.
The society subsequently participated in coffee competitions locally and internationally, where its coffee won awards and earned recognition.
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Flora Maritim, an employee at Sorwot Farmers Cooperative Society in Kericho County, said the lack of electricity had affected both security and daily operations at the coffee cooperative.
Maritim said workers faced security challenges, particularly when they had to work at night without adequate lighting.
She said the lack of electricity also meant staff had to travel to other areas to access printing services, making routine office work more difficult.
The electricity connection eased some of these challenges by enabling the cooperative to print documents on site and charge phones at the office.
Maritim said the installation of security lights had also improved safety at the facility, particularly when many people were around.
She added that the arrival of electricity had coincided with an increase in the number of workers at the cooperative, as improved security and working conditions attracted more people.
According to Maritim, the additional employment gave workers income to support their families.
She said the improved electricity access had also supported the cooperative’s expansion and created better conditions for its operations.
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Sorwot Farmers’ Cooperative Society Coffee farm in Kericho County PHOTO/Handout
