More than 800,000 tea farmers go to the polls tomorrow to elect leaders who will manage the 54 KTDA managed tea factories in the coming three years.
There are 720 directors fighting for the available 324 directors’ vacancies, who were cleared to run for the position by IEBC, after a nomination process. The polling centres open at 7am and close at 3pm, with farmers asked to turn up in large numbers to cast their votes.
As IEBC manned polling centres open in the east of rift six candidates among them Lawyer Chege Kirundi( Kiru) and John Kahari( Kanyenya ini) went in unopposed at the nomination stage.
In the counties of Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Embu and Kirinyaga the campaigns saw the different modes used as the contestants used the social media, churches, chiefs meetings to reach the farmers.
Peter Karanja Muturi
Candidates Joe Mahugu of Nduti tea factory, Peter S. Muturi Karanja( Gacharage), Nahason Ngari (Mununga) and John Mithamo Wasusan (Ndima) are among those who have embarked on door-to-door campaigns to reach more farmers ahead of the today’s poll.
KTDA Chairman Enos Njeru said the campaign period has been peaceful as there was no violence reported. Njeru said IEBC should ensure the election procedure is followed to the latter as agreed in the out of the court settlement.
“There has been adherence of law and order and now I plead with farmers to elect credible persons who will manage their tea business and explore on the new markets,” said Njeru running for Mbiu Njeru electoral area in Rukiriri tea factory in Embu.
Joe Mahugu
KTDA Zone 11 Board Member Mr James Githinji, affiliated to Ngere Tea Factory, pleads with the farmers to elect persons who will take the tea sector to another level. “In three years, with farmers backing, the directors managed to increase the price of green leaf from Sh16 to Sh21,” said Githinji.
At Makomboki Tea Factory, a hotly contested contest is between the current director Mbote Mwangi and the former James Muchai, eying for Kimotho electoral area directorship as they have been holding strategic meetings with farmers.
Former Makomboki tea factory chairman Eng Erastus Gakuya and former Zone 111 Board member Francis Macharia are contesting for Maire and Tuthu electoral areas in Makomboki and Kanyenya ini tea factories respectively.
Mr Enos Njeru