This archive report was first published on 11 November 2019.
Kenya: Senate Committee Calls for Probe into KTDA to Save Tea Industry ¶
On November 11, 2019, a Senate ad hoc committee on tea called on President Kenyatta to form a commission of inquiry to investigate issues raised by farmers against the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
The committee, led by Senator Ephraim Maina, sought to address alleged misappropriation of farmers' income in dubious investments by the agency.
During public hearings in six counties, farmers expressed concerns over lack of transparency and accountability in the tea industry.
They cited challenges such as low farm gate prices, poor extension services, poor access to credit, and low level of farmers' participation in decision-making at various chains.
The committee also noted gaps in the policy and legal frameworks in the regulation of tea production and marketing of finished products.
Senator Maina called for the transformation of KTDA and an end to its monopoly as the produce buyer, saying the tea industry was on the brink of collapse.
He urged the government to support agriculture as a priority for economic development and to develop policies that would bring back agriculture to the level it was in the 1970s.
"Kenya is an agricultural country, endowed with good soil, good climate, and rain from God. In fact, in this country, there are areas you can grow four crops, for instance, vegetables in a year," Senator Maina said.
