Tea growers affiliated to Kanyenya ini tea factory in Murang’a are focusing on electing credible leadership in the forthcoming factory elections following the end of the mediation process nurtured by the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK).
The farmers affirm that in the past three years, the leadership under the chairmanship of Mr Alex Macharia Karuguru has offered them direction that helped improve their tea business to profitability.
The small-scale farmers, who assembled at Mutunguru Iguru Buying Centre, led by Mr Meck Gitundu, Ms Rhoda Wanjiru and Mr Simon Nyingi said the Macharia’s leadership has reshaped the destiny of the tea business.
The Macharia led team of directors inherited a rundown factory with leaking roof which has been salvaged through a structured improvement.
They said in the forthcoming election,the farmers are interested in leadership that will guide their factory to prosperity shuning down those out to sabotage the progress in the sector.
Gitundu outlined the benefits they have achieved at Kanyenya ini factory in the last three years as, the government backed reserve price at the Mombasa auction, reinstatement of mini bonus, repair of the leaking roof, timely collection of the green leaf from the collection centres among other gains.
“The former directors are free to vie for directorship positions, but they must know the farmers will interrogate them to ensure their suitability in leadership based on their past deeds,” said Gitundu.
In the resolution, arrived at the mediation, qualification for directorship in the polls will be based on each factory’s memorandum of articles of association.
After the election at the factories a special AGM will be convened to confirm the newly elected directors.
He disclosed that Kanyenya ini farmers demand the former directors account for Sh260 million loan they acquired from a Nairobi bank which is being repaid at the rate of Sh 60 million annually.
“There is a balance of Sh 130 million that the bank is waiting for repayment. More so there are millions of shillings that have mysteriously withdrawn, and which has been paid to facilitate the legal process,” said Gitundu.
Wanjiru said the timely payment of the monthly payments has brought sanity in many of the families as in the past farmers were subjected to late payment.
She added that with the prices offered at the Mombasa auction, the growers feel encouraged to remain in their tea farms, as the collection of the green leaf is timely as compared in the past where they camped for hours in the buying centres awaiting for the collection trucks.
“Today payment is made promptly on the 5th of every month enabling the farmers’ plan for their monies,” said Wanjiru. Nyingi said the growers will stick with the workaholic directors after they managed to salvage the factory from the neglect.
He adds that the farmers’ questions are answered during the meetings at the Annual General Meetings unlike in the past.
” AGM remains the forum where farmers deliberate on the issues pertaining to their business,” said Nyingi.
Chairman of Murang’a Tea Causus Prof Joseph Karanja said the farmers should participate in the electoral process and pick the development-oriented leadership.
Karanja, Chairman at Ngere Tea Factory said the farmers will exercise their rights through the one farmer one vote model that they had been lobbying for decades.
“In Murang’a the directors have done their best towards helping the growers achieve the best,” said Karanja.
KTDA members, James Githinji and Chege Kirundi said the factory boards in the three years have managed to turn around the tea grower’s economy.
The directors, they said, have struggled to reshape the destiny of the tea growers after the past leadership failed to involve the growers in decision making.
” The tea sector is on the right track as we are exploring the international market,” said Githinji.