The leadership battle at the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings Ltd has escalated, with widening rifts emerging during the agency’s Friday elections in Mombasa.
The tense and closely watched exercise saw Enos Njiru Njeru was elected the National chair and Eric Chepkony his deputy.
During the election, marred with controversy, six KTDA directors, led by Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe, walked out in protest, citing interference by State officials, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Tea Board of Kenya (TBK).
They claimed the election was manipulated, with pressure exerted to re-elect a chairman who they allege has failed in his duties.
Behind closed doors
The election venue, Pride Inn Shanzu, was heavily guarded by police to prevent potential unrest.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Andrew Karanja and TBK officials were present, closely observing the proceedings.
Karanja called for unity and assured the government’s support in resolving the ongoing crisis in the tea sector. “We have a new leadership, and I have urged those elected to work with opponents for the prosperity of the sector.”
Karanja emphasised the importance of the tea industry to the economy, saying it supports over five million livelihoods and contributes Sh2 billion in foreign exchange earnings annually.
“The government has a vested interest in the stability and success of the tea industry, which is why we were here to ensure the election was conducted as scheduled,” he added.
However, Kagombe, speaking at a separate press briefing at Pride Inn Nyali, accused the CS of coercing the board into re-electing a chairman under whose leadership the industry has struggled.
“We walked out because they wanted to force us to elect a chair who, in the last seven months, has not sold a single kilo of tea. Our tea is stuck here, and they want to use their private companies,” he charged.
In his post-election address, Njeru acknowledged the challenges facing the industry but highlighted the progress made during his first term. He expressed gratitude for the directors’ confidence in re-electing him and outlined his plans for the future.
“I am deeply honored by the confidence my colleagues have shown in me by re-electing me as KTDA Chairman for a second term. I assure you that I will continue to serve with dedication and integrity,” he said.
Njeru noted that during his first term, KTDA ensured prompt payment to farmers, increased monetary returns, and launched a premium Kenyan tea product, Chai Gold.
Looking ahead, he plans to implement the Tea Act and Management Agreement, promote tea consumption domestically, and improve tea quality to boost Kenya’s global market competitiveness.
He also pledged to diversify KTDA’s product range to reduce the volume of unsold bulk tea and improve the financial health of the agency and its affiliated factories.
