Nairobi, Jan. 28 -- Dairy farmers have opposed plans to decentralise the operations of the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (New KCC), warning that this would further weaken the troubled processor and erode their market share.

President William Ruto recently revealed plans decentralise the operations of New KCC and empower farmers to own factories in their regions as part of a plan to tackle managerial and financial challenges facing the parastatal.

"We want to make New KCC farmer-owned, and the model is like that of Kenya Tea Development Agency, where farmers possess ownership of factories in their areas of jurisdiction countrywide. As a government, we shall assist them in managing the factories, implementing reforms, and injecting som...