This archive report was first published on 13 September 2021.
On September 9, 2021, KTDA Holdings Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Lerionka Tiampati, stepped down after six years at the helm. According to a statement from KTDA, Tiampati had applied for an early exit before the expiry of his contract, which was approved by the board.
His departure comes after reforms instituted by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya led to the setting up of a new board, which had sent the CEO and five other top officials on compulsory leave in June 2021 to pave the way for investigations.
It is unclear why the board decided to let Tiampati go before the investigations report has been tabled. In cases where there are early signs of damning indictment, a CEO can be asked to leave to save face.
Before joining KTDA as Managing Director in 2004, Tiampati served as the CEO of Kenya Tea Packers Limited's (KETEPA) tea packing subsidiary company, which is majority-owned by KTDA.
At the beginning of 2021, President Kenyatta called for the restructuring of KTDA to address low tea prices, delayed payments, and fluctuations in net income for tea farmers. He said that rather than farmers earning about Ksh91 per kilo of tea, they were earning Sh41, with Ksh50 shillings per kilo going to brokers and middlemen.
