Campaigns intensify for top slots in KTDA Holdings Friday elections

Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Rono. [File, Standard]

With only days to KTDA Holdings elections, boardroom campaigns have intensified as tea farmers await a declaration of annual bonus which may affect the campaigns.

The elections will pick leaders who will guide the tea sector for the next three years.

Lobbying for national positions at the has intensified as farmers await the declaration of bonus payments, and clearance of the unsold tea in Mombasa warehouses.

Last Friday, new Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Andrew Karanja met stakeholders after which he suspended the reserve price of tea that had stayed for more than six months in warehouses.

According to Tea Value Chain Expert Peter Karomo, the elections scheduled for Friday in Mombasa will have a significant impact on the sector which has recorded impressive performance in the past three years.

Karomo said KTDA Holdings chairman Enos Njeru, who has picked Erick Chepkwony as vice chair, is a front-runner.

"On June 29 the majority of the tea factories retained their directors, based on growers' trust with incumbent leadership," said Karomo.

An insider revealed that Njeru is likely to face James Githinji from Ngere Tea Factory in Murang'a, backed by three board members, Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe (Ndarugo), Chege Kirundi (Kiru), and John Mithamo Wasusana (Ndima).

Njeru said in his second term he will focus on reducing tons of unsold tea through enhanced farmer's education on quality plucking of green leaf.

He said farmers are required to adhere to KTDA standards to maintain the best quality which will translate to better returns.

"We have laid a mechanism with the West of Rift factories to ensure we guide quality, to reduce the effects of the unsold teas," said Njeru.

Tea farmers Jane Wambui and Samson Kamau, from Nduti and Mununga tea factories, said KTDA directors should retain the chairman owing to his vast experience in the sector.

Wambui said farmers want the gains made in the last three years protected.

"The farmers want the price to increase to Sh30 per kilogramme of green leaf and this can be achieved if farmers enhance the quality production of the green leaf," said Wambui.

Kamau said farmers want the board to establish a marketing unit that will work in partnership with the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) to source markets.

"With an expanded market the growers will get value," said Kamau.

Morris Mwaura, a resident of Mathioya, said KTDA and TBK should take the blame for failure to explore more markets.

Mwaura, a shareholder at Kiru tea factory, said efforts should be made to clear unsold teas lying in warehouses as soon as possible.

"We call upon the KTDA board to explain to farmers why the issue of unsold tea remains a threat to the sector," said Mwaura.

There are 54 smallholder tea factories with 880,000 growers. East of Rift has 35 factories and 19 in West of Rift.

Mary Njiru from Mununga tea factory says the promise of above Sh50 per kilogram of green leaf should be realistic to all the farmers.

"My plea to the regulator is to ensure farmers are educated in better plucking practices and explore more markets," said Njiru.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Rono last week met tea stakeholders in Mombasa and hinted at a plan to amend the Tea Act 2020 to allow direct sales overseas.

"Both the government and stakeholders in the sector will work to reduce the level of unsold teas from smallholder tea factories under the KTDA management," the PS said.