Mt Kenya tea farmers in unanimous approval of tea industry reforms

Paul Ringera, KTDA Meru Region Director speaks to Tiaty MP William Kamket. [Wainaina Ndung'u/Standard]

Tea sector reforms have divided farmers even as the government seeks to streamline the sector.

Farmers in Mount Kenya have unanimously approved the reforms championed by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.

Speaking during public consultative forums on the Crops (Tea Industry) Regulations 2020 organised by the National Assembly’s committee on Delegated Legislation, farmers said the reforms will increase earnings by eliminating wastage in the value chain.

The committee visited Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Meru counties.

Delegated Legislation Committee chairman William Kamket said the farmers in Meru are optimistic that the reforms will streamline the sector.

“We will reconcile these recommendations with those that will come from other teams in Central, Rift Valley, Western and Kisii and give our verdict on whether the reforms should be adopted or dropped,” Kamket said after the meeting with farmers in Kinoro and Kathera markets in South Imenti and Githongo Polytechnic in Central Imenti.

He, however, said the committee has no powers to amend the regulations but can only make recommendations.

The public consultations involved farmers from six factories in Meru and one in Tharaka Nithi.

Directors of the Meru factories led by regional director Paul Ringera attended the sitting at Kathera market.

Mugambi Nkanata of Kenya Union of Small Scale Tea Owners said farmers want the rules on one man, one vote for factory directors and payment of 50 per cent of proceeds within 30 days implemented.

Douglas Mwebia, a farmer at Kinoro tea factory challenged directors unhappy with the reforms to resign. Willy Kingori of Michi Mikuru tea factory called for retention of the bonus and enhancement of monthly payments.

Nominated MP Cecily Mbarire denied claims that the government plans to revert Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) to a parastatal.

Tea farmers in Embu County under Rukuriri, Kathangariri and Mungania tea factories called for streamlining of KTDA to improve transparency in the tea sub-sector.

They also backed the reduction of factory directors from six to three with two electives and one nominated.

They supported digitisation of tea auction to enable them monitor the process.

KTDA representatives said the agency is not against the 51 proposed changes, but only six of them. Embu KTDA Board Member Samuel Ireri warned that the regulations may end up discouraging buyers from buying Kenyan tea.

Meanwhile, tea growers have differed over the reduction of the number of directors in the management committees of factories.

The growers want directors election to be handled by a competent body as KTDA was an interested party.

The growers gave their submissions during a consultative meeting with the committee led by Mbeere North MP Martin Njagagua, Gichugu MP Gichimu Githinji and his Kandara counterpart Alice Wahome at Kiru tea factory.

The farmers want each factory to employ a company secretary instead of being guided by the management agent.

Elsewhere, chaos rocked a consultative meeting in Bomet County. Former Konoin MP Julius Kones who has been on the frontline in pushing for tea reforms was heckled and forced to cut short his speech at Mogosiek sports grounds.

A group of farmers opposed to the regulations accused Kones of backing efforts geared at killing the sector.

Kones claimed that KTDA hired goons to heckle anyone supporting the Munya regulations. The meeting was chaired by Tharaka Nithi MP George Murugara.

In Kericho, speaker after speaker petitioned Munya to recall the tea reforms during the public hearing at Litein and Momul tea factories.

Small scale tea farmers opposed plans to convert KTDA into a parastatal. Senator Aaron Cheruiyot said the reforms should not be pushed down the throats of farmers.

[Reports by Wainaina Ndung’u, Dickson Mwiti, Boniface Gikandi, Nikko Tanui and Gilbert Kimutai]