The management of the tea factories in the East of the Rift has formulated a strategic plan to guide the processing plants’ taking over effective July 1st.
The directors in the counties of Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, and Kirinyaga have devised programmes for implementation of the running of the factories in line with the tea reforms as they take full control of the financial responsibilities, leaving the KTDA to ensure quality production of green leaf.
In the Implementation matrix seen by the County Times, KTDA -MS annually will be subjected to signing a performance agreement.
In Murang’a County, the board of directors in charge of the 10 factories since February 15, have been deliberating on implementing the taking over of the multi-million shillings plans.
The factories have until April 30th to formulate terms and conditions for the finance management, procurement policy, and internal auditor, which are other responsibilities that the boards will handle.
The KTDA which has since signed the management contract with the factories, has been directed to ensure the management agreement is fully implemented including the transfer of internal audit service to the factory boards.
In the past three weeks, the directors have been working on strategies to recruit finance managers, and internal auditors, by May 1st.
Ngere Tea Factory Vice Chairman Mr James Githinji said in the implementation matrix, the management agent will retain the position of the accountant, as in the new system will be allocated duties by the Factory Manager.
The accountant, Githinji said, will represent the interest of the management agency in running the factory.
Githinji, also a KTDA Board member representing zone two, says the tea sector leadership in Murang’a is prepared for a take-off to ensure the wishes of the farmers are respected and their interests safeguarded.
“We are recruiting the professionals to ensure by July 1st we shall not be stranded as we are eying to give the farmers the best,” said Githinji.
Kiru Tea Factory Chairman Chege Kirundi an advocate of tea reforms says they have laboured for years to introduce the reforms in the sector despite heavy resistance.
” The farmers have trust with the directors who are ready to implement the reform agenda to achieve profitability,” said Kirundi, also a KTDA board member.
Gatunguru tea factory chairman Mwangi Kaguma said the Murang’a tea caucus has been active in training the directors to ensure after KTDA- MS leaves they will not be stranded.
” Those who are being recruited are supposed to start working from May 1 to enable them to become familiar with the operations in the tea sector,” said Kaguma.
Nash Ngari, the Mt Kenya tea directors chief whip says that Kirinyaga County’s implementation of the management matrix starts on March 31st.
Ngari says different timelines have been set for the implementation to support the reforms, adding that directors are ready for the task.
He adds that the directors will control the funds and ensure there will be no wastage as there has been.
” Each zone has its matrix for the implementation all geared towards giving the tea growers the best leadership and thus value for their produce,” said Ngari. Ngari is a director at Mununga tea factory in Kirinyaga County.