KTDA leadership row deepens as Njeru rejects Githinji's election

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

The Kenya Tea Development Agency is embroiled in a heated leadership contest, with former chairman Enos Njeru rejecting the election of his successor, James Githinji Mwangi.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Njeru drew a firm line, warning that the KTDA National Board would neither set aside its rules nor proceed with an election without all board members present.

"The Kenya Tea Development Agency is not a banana republic where a few individuals come from any quarter to try and hold an election,” Njeru said.

He added, “We shall go by the constitution of the Kenya Tea Development Agency .”

Njeru said the latest developments at KTDA Holdings painfully reflected how personal financial and political interests had increasingly taken precedence over the reputation, stability and long-term interests of an institution belonging to millions of tea farmers.

"Unfortunately, KTDA has become an institution where top leadership keeps changing, not necessarily because of a genuine desire to improve governance or service delivery, but because certain individuals appear uncomfortable when their personal interests are not accommodated", Njeru noted.

"I will not be anybody's puppet. Nobody has the authority to intimidate, blackmail or coerce me into participating in questionable, unlawful or unethical dealings," he added.

"I  would rather lose my seat than betray the farmers who entrusted me with their leadership".

He said six board members had been absent from the election and had neither been notified about it nor known that it was taking place.

"For clarity, I had postponed yesterday's meeting, and the majority of the Board Members had agreed with that postponement, and how did it arrive at decisions purporting to change the leadership of KTDA Holdings without the knowledge or participation of six Board Members?" he asked.

He said the latest development amounted to an extremely serious breach of corporate governance, raised questions about the legality and validity of the purported decisions, and warranted an immediate independent investigation.

"KTDA is not anybody's personal property, and its Boardroom is not a private business where decisions can be manufactured to serve individual interests".

He said KTDA Holdings needed fundamental restructuring and that the question of whether its current structure should continue had to be addressed without fear or favour.

"I owe my loyalty to the tea farmers, not to political masters, business associates or individuals seeking to turn KTDA into their personal financial enterprise".

"I will stand for transparency, accountability and responsible leadership, regardless of the consequences".

"History will not judge us by the positions we occupied, but by what we stood for and what we protected when the interests of farmers were under threat"

On Tuesday, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) announced new board-level leadership, electing James Githinji Mwangi as chairperson and retaining Samson Mosonik Menjo as vice-chairperson.

Mwangi replaced Enos Njeru, and the Board thanked the outgoing chairman for his “dedicated service to the Agency.

KTDA said the change was part of routine governance processes intended to strengthen oversight and protect farmers’ value.

The Agency added that it remained committed to strong governance and to strengthening Kenya’s tea competitive position in global markets. It assured tea farmers and other stakeholders that the leadership changes would not disrupt operations.

"KTDA reassures all stakeholders that business operations will proceed seamlessly, with an unwavering focus on driving efficiency and promoting the best interests of tea farmers," the statement added.

KTDA said the new team would help strengthen oversight and safeguard the interests of millions of smallholder tea farmers.