KTDA Board Member Mr Enos Njeru
The Mountain Journal
editor@themountainjournal.co.ke
A crisis is looming in the tea sector following a proposal by farmers to institute legal proceedings against the Tea Amendment Bill currently in the committee stage in the parliament
The farmers want parliament to halt deliberations on the bill, arguing that if allowed, the contentious Direct Settlement System (DSS) implemented the payment to growers will be through mobile money transfer system, not through the factory.
The bill also introduces a tea levy that will be charged at Sh 3.85 per kilogramme of sold tea, a move that will affect all the growers.
During the ongoing Annual General Meetings, the farmers have expressed anger over the bill, saying it will sabotage the industry.
At Rukuriri, Mungania, and Kathangariri in Embu county, the farmers accused the parliament over failure to involve their directors when formulating the bill, which will affect 680,000 farmers countrywide.
The farmers observed that the bill if passed would frustrate development projects within the factories and procurements of goods and services among them importation of fertiliser.
KTDA Zone Six Board Member Enos Njeru said the bill seeks each of the factories levy of Sh31 million annually for made tea at Sh 3.85 per kilogramme.
In total, other taxes imposed in the sector, the tea amendment bill to account for not less than Sh2 billion from the 71 small holder tea factories.
“ These are many of the issues that have annoyed the tea farmers in their meetings and hope we have consultations with the parliament for the interest of the industry, “ said Mr Njeru appealing to lawmakers from the tea producing counties in Mt Kenya region to lead the way and salvage farmers from the york of desperation.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Muchomba, Njeru underscored has educated thousands of farmers through her social media platforms over the dangers surrounding the bill if passed into law.
At Gatunguru tea factory, the farmers said they will lobby among the MPs to ensure the bill is defeated owing to its negative implications.
They told factory chairman Mwangi Kaguma they will take personal initiative to reach all the seven MPs in Murang’a for the purpose of rejecting the bill they termed as punitive.
Kaguma said the DSS was rejected by coffee farmers after it was introduced in November last year.
Simon Daiga said it was regrettable that some MPs were unaware of the bill touching on tea being debated in the agriculture committee.
“ It is unfortunate that some of the leaders said they will inquire more about the bill despite hailing from the tea producing zones,” said Daiga.
Esther Ng’aari said the farmers are against introduction of the draconian regulations designed to cause dispute thus calling for the removal of the clauses.
“On December 8, farmers will have a meeting to declare their opposition to the contentious bill,” she said.
At Njunu tea factory, Vice chairman Maina Gathua called for the withdrawal of the bill citing it would plunge the sector into chaos.
“The farmers are in need of adequate fertilizer ahead of rains as they have invested in orthodox processing line,” said the vice chairman.
