By
The Mountain Journal in Kairo
The
battle between Kiru Tea factory and Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has
been re-opened with tea growers confirming a board of management led by Chege
Kirundi. Kirundi who initiated the battle with the agency in 2017 reclaimed the
chairmanship position after the growers confirmed him as a representative for
Kiamuturi electoral zone.
The
move saw the ouster of the board of directors led by Stephen Githiga by the
farmers during a special general meeting.
In the meeting where a section of farmers
alleged they were blocked from declaring their candidature for the directorship
positions.
Mr Wagana Maigua was endorsed by the Kiria ini electoral zone farmers
to replace Githiga, who was accused of being allied to KTDA.
The battle emerged in 2017 after Kirundi
demanded a forensic audit into operations of the agency at the factory, as a
condition for the renewal of the managing contract.
Some of the conditions included lowering the
management contract fee from 2.5 percent to one percent, a move that opened a
legal battle that saw some directors fined for contempt of court.
Githiga
said they are preparing to conduct a meeting with the farmers.
“
The meeting was in a bad taste as the government has banned public gathering as
a measure to stop the spread of Covid 19,” said Githiga.
The election at Kiru concluded an exercise
that started on March 20 and all the 10
tea factories in Murang’a have new boards.
In the new boards at Gacharage factory, Paul
Kagema reclaimed his seat after he joined the growers in advocating for reforms
in the sector.
Hours after the meeting, detectives from DCI moved to the KTDA headquarters where the senior officials were questioned.
A month ago, in
an executive order, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the Attorney General to conduct
a probe into operations of the agency together with its subsidiary companies.
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