There were celebrations in the tea growing region after Green Fedha Limited reversed its decision to recover 30 percent of loans from the mini bonus scheduled to be released today.
This followed after the management of the financial organisation supporting farmers issued a communication canceling the earlier one that alerted them that 30 percent of the mini bonus will be deducted to recover part of the loan.
The County Times learnt that the cancellation of the notice was communicated through the tea factory directors who had raised objections terming the move unfair. The message from Green Fedha read ” Dear customer, this is to notify you that GreenLand Fedha will NOT recover your loan from the Mini Bonus as earlier communicated,”.
Peter Njroroge a farmer in Njunu tea factory in Gatanga said recovering the loan through the mini bonus was against the rule of the law.
The agreement that I entered with Green Fedha Limited states that recovery of loans will be pegged on the annual bonus and not the mini bonus,” said Njoroge as he celebrated. Insider in the tea sector said the push to reverse the decision was arrived at following the spirited campaign by directors from Nyeri and Kirinyaga counties led by Nahason Ngari.
Ngari, a director at Mununga tea factory in Kirinyaga county, said the matter has been put to rest.
“Immediately the farmers received the messages hell broke loose and to avert the noise and disunity we immediately made consultations and the matter was reversed,” said Ngari.
The earlier message to the farmers that has since been canceled read “Dear customer, for sustainability measures, this is to inform you that GFL will deduct 30% of your Mini Bonus towards loan repayment”.