An agency wants Chief Justice (CJ) David Maraga to intervene in a case lodged against it by Murang’a County Government.
In an application dated October 11, and filed before High Court Judge Kanyi Kimondo, Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) wants Justice Maraga to create a panel of at least three judges to hear the suit.
KTDA has argued that issues raised in the case concerning low tea bonus payments can only be handled by the panel constituted by the CJ.
Justice Kimondo said the application would be heard on November 29. “Other applications before this court concerning the matter will remain pending," Kimondo directed.
Earlier the judge ordered that all Murang’a-based tea factories' books of accounts be audited, but retracted after KTDA filed its application. "I'm also withholding orders seeking for an audit of the accounts of Murang’a-based tea factories until November 29,” Kimondo said.
Murang'a's tea factories include Njunu, Ngeere, Makomboki, Nduti, Ikumbi, Githambo, Kanyenya ini, Gatunguru and Kiru.
In its case, the County Government had also requested that KTDA books be audited by the Auditor General, a request the agency's management sought to block.
The tea agency's Finance and Strategy Director Benson Ngari Kamau has also been pushing for the dismissal of the county government's case.
Mr Kamau, in arguments captured in the same application, have dismissed claims by the county government that this year's bonus payments, which were reduced by 36 per cent compared to last year's, were as a result of fraud at KTDA.
The county government maintains that KTDA must be investigated.
In an affidavit, Bernard Wanyoike, the Chief Officer for Cooperatives, said the poor pay amounted to exploitation of farmers.
