This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 8, 2019, tea farmers from all over the country expressed their dissatisfaction with the management of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). The farmers' grievances centered around dwindling payments, which they claimed were a result of mismanagement.
Over 30,000 growers demanded investigations into financial misconduct, while farmers in the Rift Valley accused the KTDA management of failing to implement strategies that would earn tea products higher prices.
Furthermore, farmers in Murang'a county, led by Governor Mwangi Wa Iria, demanded that KTDA make their accounts public. This move followed a significant drop in payments to farmers from KSh 11.2 billion in 2018 to KSh 8.9 billion in 2019.
“KTDA requires an urgent overhaul to cushion farmers against being pushed out of the sector due to the high cost of production coupled with low returns,” said Mathew Lang'at.
Responding to the complaints, the High Court of Murang'a ordered an independent audit of KTDA's books. The Auditor-General will analyze tea earnings, bonuses, and the tea produce supplied to KTDA in 2018 and 2019.
