After three months of intensive campaigns majority of the current tea factories directors in Mt Kenya region got re elected.
The directors led by KTDA Chairman Enos Njeru who won the Mbiu Njeru area directorship seat affiliated to the Rukiriri Tea Factory will be in charge of the sector for another three years.
In their re-election campaigns they had an advantage as they relied upon the success in the sector associated with increment of price of the gree leaf from Sh16 to Sh 25 in three years, revamping of the tea factories and addition of trucks to ferry green leaf from the buying centres.
a factory with a landslide margin among the 75 percent of the directors who made a comeback after an intensive election. In Murang’a county,in the electoral process, three directors, lawyer Chege Kirundi (Kiru), John Kahari (Kanyenyaini) and Nancy Wangari (Nduti) sailed through after they failed to get opposition at the nomination stage.
In Mt Kenya region the current directors celebrated at Rukiriri, Gachege, Ngere, Nduti, Gatunguru, Njunu, Makomboki, Gacharage, Ikumbi tea factories upon reelection.
Zone 11 KTDA Board Member James Githinji and vice chairman to Ngere tea factory attributed the win to the team over their support and willingness to support the tea sector.
” It has been a tough three years ensuring the farmers backed reform process was successful,” said Githinji after he won the Mbugiti electoral directorship in Gatanga.
At Kiru factory, two former directors Eston Gakungu and Martin Ngatia were elected trouncing allies of Chege Kirundi to represent Kairo and Kiambuthia electoral areas respectively.
At Njunu tea factory, the vice chairman Maina Gathua Bidco won the Gituru electoral area polling 428 votes against Mwangi Mahugu 33 votes. At Kanyenya ini tea factory Alex Macharia was re-elected to represent Gitugu zone, while the incumbent Patrick Muchiri retained Tuthu electoral area after trouncing a former director Francis Mark Macharia.
A current director Ms Mary Gitaka lost her directorship slot at Ngoeni electoral area to Peter Gachuhi after she got 51 votes against 201 votes. At Nduti tea factory, at Kiangatia area, the Vice Chairman Joseph Mahugu retained after he polled 344 votes against Titus Gicheru and Samson Ng’ang’a who polled 28 votes and 26 votes respectively.
In the Mukuria area, Kuria Kamau polled 468 votes defeating Hilary Thuku who got 56 votes, while in Karangi area, Kamau Mwicuci got 240 votes against Charles Kimenyi 29 votes. At Githambo Tea Factory, chairman Joseph Karanu was re-elected at Gathaithi area, as his board got three new members representing Murarandia, Ichichi and Matharite electoral areas.
In Kiambu county, only at Gachege factory the directors were re-elected as in Kabaa,Kagwi, and Mataara factories each had two new directors elected as others retained. In Embu County, at Rukiriri, Kathangariri all the directors were re-elected while at Mungania a new person was elected.
At Ragati factory, the farmers elected three news directors, Chinga four new directors, Gitugi two new directors,Iria ini two new directors were elected and at Gathuthi two new directors were elected
Enos Njeru Chairman KTDA Photo
