Newly installed KTDA board chairman Daniel Ichoho has appointed Wilson Muthaura Mathiu as the acting Group Chief Executive Officer(CEO) as he moved to stamp his authority.
Prior to his appointment, Mathiu was the Group General Manager for Human Resources and Administration with experience spanning over 25 years.
Ichoho also appointed Simeon Rugut as the acting Finance and Strategy director following a board meeting held on Wednesday barely a week after the new board took over the troubled agency.
Until his new appointment Rugutt was the Finance Director for KTDA Management Services.
Ichoho said his board offers the two senior officers its full support and wished them success in the discharge of their mandate.
The new board had after assuming office fired the Group CEO Lerionka Tiampati, the Company Secretary John Omanga and Managing Director MS Alfred Njagi.
Others sent packing were Benson Ngari, Director Finance and Strategy, David Mbugua, ICT General Manager, Brown Kanampiu, the head of procurement, Lincoln Munyao, General Manager Audit and Francis Miano, General Manager Technical Services.
Ichoho said the new board was firmly in office and would continue making sweeping changes to ensure all loopholes where farmers have been losing money have been sealed.
He said the board is ready to work with workers who cooperate but will not hesitate to kick out any element that tries to block reforms.
Ichoho said he was surprised that some workers were talking about court orders saying they should concentrate on their work and leave the issues of the board to the board to resolve.
“I was surprised when some workers told us about court orders. That is not their business, they should concentrate on their work which is to deliver value to the farmers,” said Ichoho.
He warned the ousted board that there is no amount of resistance that will stop the reforms currently on top gear which are meant to rescue the industry from cartels.
Ichoho said they will conduct audits of the entire organisation, both systems and operations and will act in the best interest of the farmers – who he said have suffered for too long.
“I want to assure farmers that they have now taken back KTDA and a farmer is now on top. We shall do the best for the farmer and ensure that tea becomes profitable once again,” said Ichoho
