The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) directive to KTDA managed tea factories to hold elections, has been welcomed by Murang’a tea directors. The management of 10 tea factories supported the decision arrived at after the mediation process brokered by the regulator, to end the three-year wrangles with the former directors.
The 60 directors led by KTDA board members James Githinji and Chege Kirundi said they are ready to go into the elections by the end of June as ordered by the regulator.
They said they are willing to face their opposition in the polls, as they will be backing on their track record and development in the last three years. In the meeting at Thika Green Exclusive Golf Course in Gatanga, the factory officials said in September they will declare the best ever annual bonus payment to the farmers.
They said the polls will bring to an end the protracted wrangles that have existed between the current directors and their former after they lost their positions in the last election that advocated for tea reforms.
“The government decision on election should be respected as the farmers who are the majority will elect their leaders who will manage the tea sector,” said Kirundi, also a lawyer. Githinji said they will go to the poll with the backing of the farmers, who are ready to re-elect them based on their track record towards improvement of the multi billion shillings sector.
” The voting will be through a secret ballot based on one farmer one vote. The share and proxy systems that were abused in the past have since been outlawed by the regulator,” said Githinji.
Githinji, a vice chairman at Ngere tea factory, added that the farmers have enjoyed an increment in the price of green leaf from Sh16 to Sh21 and Sh25 in a short period.
Kanyenya ini Factory Chairman Alex Macharia Karuguru said in the duration the sector has improved tremendously owing to the cooperation between the farmers and the directors.
” At Kanyenya ini, the board inherited a dilapidated processing plant, and millions of shillings have been spent towards rehabilitation and sealing the leaking roof,” said Karuguru.
The most important is that the tea bonus has been on the rise following the impressive market of the commodity in the local and international market.
Murang’a county tea caucus chairman Prof Joseph Karanja said in three years the directors have done alot to improve the tea processing plants and ensuring farmers deliver quality green leaf.
” In the analysis of performance in the year, the factories in Murang’a will make a major announcement pertaining to the annual bonus payment,” said Karanja chairman at Ngere Tea Factory.