This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, the High Court ordered the Auditor-General to verify the tea volumes supplied to the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) by farmers between 2018 and 2019.
Justice Kanyi Kimondo directed an audit of bonuses paid to the farmers over the period in a case filed by the Murang'a county government and Governor Mwangi Wa Iria.
The petitioners, led by Governor Mwangi Wa Iria, sought to make the financial accounts of the KTDA public due to a continued reduction in tea earnings.
The county government alleged a substantial drop in tea payments, amounting to Sh2.6 billion or 36 per cent from Sh11.2 billion in 2018 to Sh8.9 billion this year.
The county government has agreed to foot the bill for the independent audit, representing the farmers' interests.
Lead counsel Charles Njenga emphasized the public interest in the issue, warning that if not addressed, farmers would continue uprooting tea bushes, affecting the country's economy.
Justice Kimondo ordered the Auditor-General to consider carrying out an independent audit on the tea earnings, bonuses, and produce supplied to KTDA in 2019, pending the hearing and determination of the petition.
