The Principal Secretary, State Department of Agriculture, Dr. Paul Rono, has directed the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) to carry out auditing of all Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) financial commitments and operations and all its assets.
Dr. Rono, who was speaking at Toror Factory in Kericho, said that auditing of the Kenya Tea Development Agency factories was necessary following calls by tea farmers for separation and independence in the running of tea factories.
The irate tea farmers at the meeting with the PS carried twigs of tea plantations as they pleaded for the separation of satellite tea factories from their parent factories, arguing that the satellite factories had grown sufficiently and it was time to be allowed to operate independently for increased efficiency.
Bernard Kemboi, a tea farmer affiliated to Toror Tea Factory who spoke to KNA, said separation was crucial from the parent factories to allow autonomy in decision-making, financial management, bonuses, and the use of new technology in tea processing.
“As farmers, we have resolved that the annual tea bonus payments for both Toror and Tegat factories be suspended until the separation is completed; it is inevitable—no separation, no plucking,” stressed Kemboi.
Meanwhile, operations at Toror Tea Factory have been grounded as farmers boycotted plucking and transportation of tea until the separation from Tegat Tea Factory is officially effected.
The situation is the same at Chelal Factory, where farmers are agitating for separation from Litein Tea Factory.
The PS assured tea farmers that the government will soon address their grievances.
Dr. Rono, who was accompanied by the Tea Board of Kenya Managing Director Willy Mutai and Ainamoi Legislator Amb. Benjamin Langat, Tegat, and Toror factory directors, said that the National Government had injected Sh1.4 billion towards the provision of fertiliser subsidies for tea and maize farmers in the country.
He said that to cushion farmers, the fertiliser subsidy was being sold to farmers at Sh 2500.
The PS said that to improve tea processing and make them competitive in quality tea processing, the National Government will help in the introduction of new digital processing machinery in older factories like Tegat, Kapkoros, Litein, Mogogosiek, and Kapkatet factories.
The PS added that to improve farmers’ earnings in tea bonuses, KTDA factory management and directors should reduce operational costs and other entities that eat into farmers’ earnings.
“Some factory unit management and directors had their operational costs beyond the ceilings, which negatively affected the second tea payment. These operational costs should be minimal,” the PS said.
The Agriculture PS further said the use of scientific tea testing was to bring equity and fairness in the marketing of tea. “Tampering of tea weighing scales by unscrupulous clerical officers at tea buying centres in order to steal farmers produce has been reported, and action will be taken on those found,” the PS said.
By Dominic Cheres and Kibe Mburu
