KTDA gets new chairman as incumbent Njeru terms election a sham

Incoming KTDA national chairman James Mwangi Githinji receives the certificate of appointment from company secretary Matthews Odero. [Courtesy, KTDA]

Infighting at the KTDA Holding has escalated with the ousting of Enos Njeru as chairman and replaced with James Githinji.

Githinji was elected chairman, replacing Njeru in a move that surprised many stakeholders.

Githinji, the chairman at Ngere tea factory in Murang’a, assumed the position barely eight months after Njeru was re-elected, taking it from Chege Kirundi.

Njeru dismissed the election as an illegal coup staged by a section of his colleagues while pursuing their selfish interests.

KTDA corporate department, in a communication, announced that Eng Samson Menjo from West of Rift remains the vice chairman of the board.

“The notice of the meeting was sneaked in with a promise that Eng Menjo will assume my position, before Githinji was proposed and seconded,” said Mr Njeru

Njeru, when contacted, said he leaves the KTDA Holding Chairmanship position with clean hands as he fought for the interest of the tea farmers.

“My exit will prove that I have been working for the farmers' interests, as it has been a testimony all along since I was elected by farmers in Rukuriri tea factory as their director,” said Mr Njeru

His exit comes as private companies are lobbying to manage the e-wallet platform that is being formulated for the tea farmers.

Njeru assumed the KTDA chairmanship in March this year from Chege Kirundi of Kiru Tea Factories, who held it for a year.

The farmers reacted angrily over the move at the directors' meeting, raising questions over the many coups engineered to replace the chairmen.

Peter Mugo, a farmer in Murang’a, calls for an end to the infighting in the tea sector, saying farmers' interests need to be protected by the directors who are entrusted through a vote

“Coups aimed at replacing the Board Chairmen at KTDA Holdings will never end, as there is always a scheme to manipulate the farmers' resources,” said Mugo.

Joseph Rono, a farmer from Bomet, appealed to the government to conduct investigations into the operations of KTDA to ensure tea farmers are protected.

“The many coups meant their infighting in the board, thus misunderstanding, “ said Mr Rono.

Rono said between 2007 and 2021, the position of Chairman changed twice when Stephen M’Imanyara served between 2000 and 2011 and ⁠Peter T. Kanyago served from 2011 to 2021.

Mary Njeri, a tea farmer, says that since 2021, elections for Chairman have been held five times.

In 2021, David Muni Ichoho was elected, and in ⁠2024, Enos Njeru was elected by the directors and held the position until January last year, when Chege Kirundi assumed.

Njeru was re-elected early in the year and held the position until today, when he lost to  James Githinji.