By The Mountain Journal
ceo@themountainjournal.co.ke
The newly elected tea factory directors will take over the management of the tea sector in Murang’a this week.
The move to take over the management of Gacharage,Ngeere, Nduti, Makomboki, Njunu, Ikumbi, Githambo, Kanyenya ini, and Gatunguru, and Nduti factories follow the directors’ recognition by the Registrar of Companies.
In a joint meeting, the directors from the factories drew a road map that will enable them to visit the processing plants starting on Monday and Tuesday to exercise their powers in the interest of the oppressed tea growers.
In a meeting on Friday at a Kenol hotel, the directors led by Paul Kagema ( (Gacharage), Joseph Mwangi Mbote ( Makomboki), and the Chairman of the Tea Lobby Sector Irungu Nyakera said they have achieved to introduce change in the leadership in the multi-billion shillings sector through interrogation of the articles of association.
Payment of the farmers’ mini bonus, they said will be a matter of urgency as they pleaded for patience from the stakeholders.
At Kiru tea factory there will be a contest between lawyer Chege Kirundi and former Sasini CEO Stephen Githiga on April 16 extra ordinary meeting.
Kirundi differed with the KTDA in 2017 after he demanded a forensic audit into the performance in the management of the Kiru factory before the renewal of the contract.
Githiga was brought on board as the chairman after he had served in the position of member of the board of directors.
Kagema, a former director who was re-elected at Gacharage factory in Kigumo, said the boards have the powers to pay the mini bonus before implementing the Tea Regulations 2020.
“ Once the boards get into the office the paramount duty is to pay the farmers as it has been before implementing paying 50 percent of the sale as the demands of the new regulations,” said Kagema.
Mbote regretted the suffering the farmers have gone through saying the farmers’ interests will be the priority, advising KTDA employees to follow their directive to the latter or be thrown out.
“Let us warn the KTDA attached leadership in our factories that they have to follow our directives or they leave. The team is recognized by law and the former directors should de-attach themselves of the office with immediate effects,” said Mbote.
Another director Joseph Karanja from Kimotho electoral zone regretted the intimidation the farmers have gone through after questioning the leadership of KTDA.
“ Farmers conducted the elections on the strength of the articles of association and immediately started a road map to implement the Tea Regulations 2020,” said Karanja.
The leaders elected in the sector at Nduti tea factory included Nancy Wangari Ndung’u wife to the former Central Bank of Kenya Governor Njuguna Ndung’u who said the farmers have confidence in the new team.
Wangari said the former boards disregarded women’s leadership and violated the gender rule which has been affirmed by the farmers.
“ This time the farmers have shown KTDA on ways to be in full compliance with the rule of the law,” said Wangari.
Nyakera said the implementation of the tea regulations is unavoidable as the government heard the cries of the farmers after years of exploitation by the directors.
“The first role of the directors will instruct their lawyers to withdraw the various suits in courts to enable implementation of the reforms. Secondly, the directors to conform with the law will pay the mini bonus to the growers which are paid in April,” said Mr Nyakera.
This week tea farmers will hold elections in the counties of Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Embu.
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