This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has been under fire from small-scale tea farmers who are demanding transparency over a Sh649 million dividend payment.
The payment was announced last month for the year ending June 2019, but farmers claim they were not consulted before the money was distributed.
According to the Kenya Smallholder Tea Growers Association (Kestega), farmers were not aware of the formation of KTDA's subsidiary companies, nor how much was spent in establishing them.
"Farmers were not even consulted before the companies were established yet they claim we are shareholders. How many shares does each of the 68 factories own in the nine subsidiaries and what is their value? We don't know," said John Nteere, Kestega national chairman.
Tea farmers in Kenya are also demanding the registration of the Dry Tea Pricing Committee, which was developed in response to directives from President Uhuru Kenyatta in January this year.
The committee aims to take over the sale of tea owned by small holder farmers at the Mombasa auction, but cartels in the ministry are reportedly opposed to its registration.
"We are aware that cartels in the ministry do not want it registered and we request the President to help farmers who have developed the constitution to actualize this committee," said Mr Nteere.
