Barely a week after taking over the management of the troubled KTDA, the new board says tea farmers affiliated to the agency will receive mini bonus payments in a week’s time.
Making the announcement the chairman David Ichoho said small holder tea farmers under KTDA would receive mini bonuses next month in July together with the June monthly payment.
He said the payment will range from Ksh 2 to Ksh 5 per kilogram of green leaf delivered for six months between July 2020 and 31st December 2020, with the rate being determined by the performance of each factory.
Ichoho said farmers have been requesting for the payment so that they can meet their financial obligations and that only farmers from Kirinyaga and Embu will not receive payments, since they were paid the same in April this year with the March payments.
The statement said the payment will be based on the performance of each factory, mainly driven by prices, hence the variation in payment.
Ichoho said the new board is focused on implementing the tea reforms which are at improving the wellbeing of the small holder tea farmers.
He regretted that the previous regime is frustrating tea reforms which would immensely benefit the farmers through court matters while using farmer’s money that otherwise would go to aid the welfare of the growers.
Ichoho urged respective factory directors to fast track the signing of the mini bonus payment resolutions assisted by the respective factory managers so that the farmers are paid on time.
It has been a busy first week in office for the new team that saw the firing of the long serving Group CEO, Lerionka Tiampati and six other senior executive, the appointment of a new acting Group CEO Muthaura Mathiu.
The sweeping reforms that the board started are being felt and results being seen giving hope to the long suffering farmers that their labour will start paying off.
However, the ousted board led by former long serving chairman Peter Kanyago has been resisting change and filing cases in court in their bid to retain power and the status quo and forestall reforms.
Ichoho and his team have vowed not to relent in their efforts to clean up the sector that has been under the iron grip of cartels that have fleeced farmers for decades.
