Tea farmers want DCI to reign in cartels

Tea farmers want investigative agencies to look into cartels they allege are defrauding them off their hard-earned profits.

Farmers allied to Tegat tea factory, who were speaking during a meeting convened by the agriculture committee, said the industry has been infiltrated by groups whose identities must be revealed.

"We want investigations to be conducted against the tea industry cartels who have been cheating, cannibalising and impoverishing farmers. We want to see convictions of the suspects and what has been looted to be retrieved and reimbursed to the farmers," said their lawyer Kipkoech Ngetich.

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Mr. Ngetich called on President Uhuru Kenyatta and Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri to form a task force to investigate what was ailing the tea sector.

The farmers also demanded to know the size of their shareholding in the factories they used to supply their green tea leaf before the establishment of satellite factories.

"Litein factory had shareholders who were transferred to Kapkatet and plans are underway to transfer them to Tebesonik tea factory. How does it happen that such farmers lose their stake in Litein factory and shareholding in Kapkatet factory without their approval?" asked Ngetich.

Tea farmers want investigative agencies to look into cartels they allege are defrauding them off their hard-earned profits.

Farmers allied to Tegat tea factory, who were speaking during a meeting convened by the agriculture committee, said the industry has been infiltrated by groups whose identities must be revealed.

"We want investigations to be conducted against tea industry cartels who have been cheating, cannibalising and impoverishing farmers. We want to see convictions of the suspects and what has been looted to be retrieved and reimbursed to the farmers," said their lawyer Kipkoech Ngetich.

Mr. Ngetich called on President Uhuru Kenyatta and Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri to form a task force to investigate what was ailing the tea sector.

The farmers also demanded to know the size of their shareholding in the factories they used to supply their green tea leaf before the establishment of satellite factories.

"Litein factory had shareholders who were transferred to Kapkatet and plans are underway to transfer them to Tebesonik tea factory. How does it happen that such farmers lose their stake in Litein factory and shareholding in Kapkatet factory without their approval?" asked Ngetich.