This archive report was first published on 25 August 2020.
On August 25, 2020, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) reversed its stance and agreed to cooperate with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) probe into alleged misappropriation of funds.
The agency's decision comes after Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti summoned KTDA officials to the DCI Headquarters for questioning.
Initially, KTDA's lawyers had stated that the DCI had no jurisdiction to investigate the agency and its officials, claiming that KTDA managers only answer to its shareholders.
However, in a statement to newsrooms, KTDA said it will cooperate with investigators and reiterated its commitment to operating in an environment that provides accountability and transparency.
"KTDA welcomes the inquiry by the DCI, and indeed by any other constitutionally-mandated institution, to inquire about our operations in the management of over 600,000 tea farmers who are industry stakeholders," read the statement.
The investigations on the alleged misuse of funds at the agency came about after farmers sought the help of detectives to unravel how millions of shillings have been used to pay for legal fees.
