Justina Wamae vows to scrap KTDA if elected president
By Mabonga Makhanu, October 1, 2025Former Roots Party running mate Justina Wamae has renewed her push for agricultural reforms, taking direct aim at the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
In a statement released on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, through her social media platforms, Wamae, who has expressed interest in running for the presidency, stated that her first action as Head of State would be the abolition of KTDA.
She argued that intermediaries such as KTDA have long exploited farmers, pointing out the lavish lifestyles of their employees compared to the struggles of ordinary farmers.
According to Wamae, while intermediaries drive expensive fuel-guzzling vehicles, the smallholder farmers who sustain the tea and coffee sectors cannot even afford a motorcycle.
She further faulted the existing payment system, especially the bonus arrangement, terming it modern-day slavery. Wamae maintained that farmers should not wait an entire year for their pay when their daily needs and those of their children require immediate attention.
Instead, she proposed a direct market approach where tea and coffee can be sold at the farm gate just like other crops, ensuring that farmers receive cash instantly for their produce.
“The day you make me your president, I will abolish KTDA and all other intermediaries. The employees of intermediaries drive fuel guzzlers, while the real farmers cannot afford even a motorcycle. Why can’t we have our tea/coffee sold for cash in our shambas (farm gate) like any crops? “Bonus” means an annual payment to farmers, which is total slavery because their needs and those of their children are daily. Wamae stated.
Bonus reduction
These come days after the bonus issued by the entity to tea farmers was reduced.
The agency explained that the reduction in earnings is largely due to unfavourable international market conditions and shifts in currency exchange rates.
“In 2024, the Kenyan shilling traded at an average of Ksh144 to the US dollar, while in 2025 the average was Ksh129,” the agency stated.
This weaker exchange rate, according to the commission, meant that even when international tea prices remained steady, the amount realised in Kenyan shillings was significantly lower.