Government finally issue orders on implementation of tea regulations

After a long wait the government has ordered  full implementation of the Tea Regulations, enacted  to restore sanity in the sector and bring to an end farmers exploitation and enhance governance.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said in the new move the existing conflict of interest in the tea sector will come to an end thus gain to the small scale growers.

He ordered the Agriculture Food Authority (AFA) led by Interim Director Antony Muriithi to immediately undertake a technical inspection of the newly installed E-Auction system to ensure that the auction is operating consistently with best practices for commodity trading.

The much awaited regulations should be fully regulations  executed by March next year.

The government initiated reforms in the tea value chain, Munya said, is geared towards increasing revenue to thegrowers, as opposed to middle men and brokers.

He outlined challenges in the tea sector as low prices, delayed payments, low initial payment and bonus and fluctuating net earnings to growers.

“The governance weakness in the whole sub sector including and not limited to conflict of interest in the operation of Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and its subsidiaries” said Munya.

He insisted that the principal of the regulations is to set the tea industry value chain on a transparent, accountable, competitive and profitable path, to empower farmers, to create sector accountability and to give farmers incentives to improve their crop through improved earnings and greater decision-making power. 

“The roadmap for implementation and the schedule of compliance requirements is ready and will start today,” said Munya.

The provision in the regulations, the CS said, will allow renegotiation and amendment of the current agreements, especially agreements relating to management agents and factories.

In the past three years, Kiru Tea Factory has been fighting for the reforms in the sector, a move that led to protracted legal battles.

 The battles emerged after the board of the factory chaired by Chege Kirundi sacked KTDA Company Secretary John Omanga and replaced him with Bernard Kiragu.

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