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Wangari Njuguna and Evans Nyakundi

Newly elected directors in various tea factories have expressed their frustrations over being denied access to crucial information in the facilities while others are yet to take over their responsibilities two months after they were elected.

The directors said despite being in the office for close to two months they have not managed to conduct any business in the factories, claiming that the unit managers are frustrating them.

Addressing the press in Murang’a the directors led by Mbote Mwangi said the factory managers always tell them they have orders from above not to allow them undertake any mandate making them passive officials.

“We have not been briefed on the status of the factories and the accounts records have also been withheld from us” he said.

In Nyamira County, the newly elected KTDA directors from the six factories are yet to resume office as the management of the factories have refused to recognise their election, arguing that there are a number of cases in court challenging the legality of their elections. 

Stakeholders meeting

Mbote who spoke during a stakeholders meeting convened by the tea stabilisation taskforce led by Irungu Nyakera expressed fear their predecessors could be trying to cover up the mess on mismanagement of the funds in the units.

“We don’t know what is happening behind the scenes but we can tell it’s not a good thing” he said. He said they are looking forward to the ruling of the case which Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) had filed opposing their election which has been slated for June 30, exuding confidence that it will be in their favour.

In Nyamira, the directors who met at a local hotel accused the factory unit managers of working with the former directors to frustrate their efforts of taking up the new mandate given to them by the farmers .

The directors who were drawn from Kebirigo, Sanganyi, Nyansiongo, Giachore, Nyankoba and Tombe tea factories petitioned the government to intervene so that they take over and start giving services to the farmers which have now stalled for the last one month.

The directors who were led by Nelson Onyancha Onduko accused KTDA headquarters of using the unit managers  to block them from getting access to the factories.