It's all systems go as tea farmers in 54 KTDA zones elect directors

Nyansiongo Zone Director Monicah Orwochi interacts with tea farmers during her campaigns at Ribwago in Borabu ,Nyamira County. KTDA Directors' elections will be held on 28th June. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has assured farmers of free and fair elections during today’s election of 54 directors of smallholder tea factories under the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).

“Our resolve is to facilitate free and fair elections, for the will of the farmers and shareholders of these factories is represented through the elections,” he said.

Linturi added, “The Ministry of Interior and National Administration has also committed to taking control of security so that there is no disruption."

The elections follow a court directive issued on April 11 this year, which came after wrangles pitting KTDA against former directors delayed the elections by about a year.

Besides signing contracts with individual factories for the conduct of elections for its directors, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will also handle dispute resolution functions emerging from the process.

The elections are expected to take place in 1,075 polling stations. The polling stations will open from 7am to 3pm. Intense campaigns had been witnessed for the past three weeks as factory directors who were elected under the tea reforms fought to retain their positions.

But the directors are facing serious opposition from former directors who have claimed they were unfairly ousted in 2021 following an executive order by former president Uhuru Kenyatta that allowed farmers to vote using the one-man-one-vote system provided for by the Tea Act, 2020. The directors then headed to court to challenge their ouster.

The current directors have underscored their performance, saying for the past three years they have served in management boards of their factories, tea farmers have benefited hugely.

They welcomed the directive of Tea Board of Kenya to have elections. The polls, they argued, will bring to an end wrangles that existed between the current and former directors who lost their positions in 2020 upon implementation of the tea reforms.

Momul tea factory Chairman Isaiah Langat who is also seeking re-election as Chemamul zone director accused former directors of instituting court cases that have cost farmers a lot of money paid as court fees.

"Since we took over three years ago, the performance of our factories has improved. Farmers witnessed high pay-out of a bonus last year and even in this year, bonus will be paid at higher rates,” said Langat.

"The government decision on election should be respected as the farmers who are the majority will give their verdict,” he added.

Kebeneti zone director, who is also Vice Chairman of the factory David Kipkorir Rono expressed optimism that current directors will be re-elected based on their remarkable track record. He urged the farmers to turn up in large numbers at various polling stations to elect their preferred candidates.

"We have worked hard to increase farmers’ returns and have made it so that directors will in future be more answerable to farmers,” Rono said. "Currently, farmers have enjoyed an increment in the price of green leaf from Sh16 to between Sh23 and Sh25,” added Rono.

Seretut Zone Director Evans Kibet noted the bonuses have been on the rise following the impressive market of the commodity in the local and international markets.