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Some MPs from tea growing areas have joined their constituents in lamenting this year’s low bonus payments.

Today, Bureti MP Japheth Mutai led other MPs from Kericho and Bomet where they decried the low payments by Kenya Tea Development Agency KTDA.

KTDA announced a big drop in tea bonus payments for this year, the lowest to be paid in the last 10 years.

The announcement was met with anger by furious farmers, some of whom have staged protests against the low bonuses.

Monday, farmers who sell their tea through Tegat Tea Factory in Kericho staged street demonstrations protesting the poor payments.

The growers lit bonfires and closed sections of the road linking the factory to other parts as the protests intensified.

Majority of the growers affected by the low payouts blame KTDA saying it has been unable to tap into modern ways of marketing their tea.

During the Monday demonstrations, the area MCA Paul Chirchir called for disbandment of KTDA.

“We are asking the government to do an audit on all KTDA run factories from the region because we highly believe corruption is rife. This has made farmers to earn peanuts day in day out and we’re not going to stomach this anymore,” said the MCA,