There is a storm in the Kenyan cup of tea as the tea factory directors’ express displeasure with the activities of the tea board of kenya in the preparation of the June 28. The acrimony kicked off after the tea regulator amended the election manual in disregard to the memorandum of articles that led to IEBC to preside over the election, a role that could have been managed by the company secretaries.
KTDA Chairman Enos Njeru said the action by the regulatory body chaired by Kamau Kahiu could trigger litigation.
Njeru said the stakeholder in the sector are lobbying for the revocation of the appointment of the TBK Chairman Mr Kamau Kahiu for the continued hatred and conflict in the Sh200 billion sector.
” What the regulator is doing is against the rule of the rule and action seems to favour one side,” said Njeru. In Mt Kenya region, directors from the counties of Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga and Kiambu retreated at a Kenol hotel where they accused the Tea Board of Kenya of denying them electoral justice in matters pertaining to the preparation of the June 28 election.
Led by Chege Kirundi, John Mithamo Wasususan, James Githinji and Daviod Ichoho said they will be forced to move to court seeking a judicial interpretation. They are objecting to the decision by the regulator to amend the election manual through demanding candidates must have obtained a minimum of D plain in their KCSEas well as being growers in respective areas.
The directors said action by the regulator should be contested as they seek orders to quash the illegal amendments made by TBK in the election manual. In the settlement agreement that the stakeholders agreed following a dispute lodged in court, they argued that there has been a lack of electoral justice through interfering with the process.
Kirundi said the election date will not be changed as the farmers will go to the polls, to conform with the court order. The anger by the directors followed the amendment of the election manual on May 28, as the TBK demanded those eying for elective positions must have been in the tea farming between May , 2023, and April 30th, 2024.
The directors also demanded electoral justice to prevail after the factory unit managers were directed to submit kilogrammes of green leaf delivered by the candidates for processing during the period. Kirundi emphasized that action by the TBK was suspicious as the company secretaries are allowed by memorandum of articles to preside over the election, as the TBK imposed IEBC in their role.
Kirundi said 20 years ago, the government delinked itself from the management of the tea sector, but it was free to formulate rules and regulations. ” TBK has abused the memorandums of the companies through appointing the IEBC to preside election, a role that should be played by the company secretaries,” said Kirundi.
Githinji, a vice chairman at Ngere tea Factory, says TBK is meddling for no apparent reasons. ” The TBK is playing politics games designed to rig some out and some in,” said Githinji. Wasusana said the actions by the TBK were questionable and will be resisted by the directors.
” We have to move to court to challenge the dictatorial action to plunge the tea sector into the ditch,” said Kirinyaga KTDA Board Member. The directors, he said, are pro reforms as they have steered the sector to success with a kilogramme of green leaf trading at Sh25 up from Sh16.
Growers from Embu and Meru were not in the meeting. Alex Macharia the chairman at Kanyenya ini tea factory said the happenings in the tea sector are tailored to undermine the present leadership at the factories.
Macharia said tea sector require to be guided to conformity with the regulations. “Confusion created by manipulation of regulations can only be addressed by law court,”said macharia
Nahason Ngari, a director at Mununga factory in Kirinyaga said they are bitter, with the manipulation of the electoral process, seeking for an urgent meeting with TBK, to help iron out the differences. ” TBK has until Monday to convene a meeting with the tea stakeholders, failing to proceed to court to seek interpretation of the election manual,” said Ngari. Ends