Newly installed KTDA chairman David Ichoho has warned ousted chairman Peter Kanyago that tea sector reforms are unstoppable no matter the amount of resistance he (Kanyago) will mount.
He said the new board is now in office and recognized by the registrar of companies and will soon be withdrawing all the eight court cases that the previous directors had filed with the aim of derailing the reforms.
Ichoho spoke a day after the ousted board chaired by Kanyago filed yet another court case where it is seeking to have Interior Security Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and his Agriculture counterpart cited for contempt of court.
In the case filed on Tuesday, the Kanyago team through their lawyers wanted to have the two CSs together with the Attorney General and the new KTDA directors punished following the elections held last month leading to ouster of the top executive at the agency.
They are accusing them of violating a court order issued by Justice Anthony Mrima on March 24, 2021 suspending an Executive Order issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 12 directing Tea Board of Kenya to conduct elections in all tea-factories within 60 days.
The two Cabinet secretaries are said to have aided the new management team to take over the control of the KTDA and its factories.
The Kanyago team had also dismissed the Ichoho board as an illegal group of people who had no mandate to transact any business on behalf of KTDA setting the stage for a protracted power struggle.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ichoho asked Kanyago and his team to go home honorably without trying to stage any fight back saying their term at the helm was completely over and a new team in place.
Ichoho promised sweeping changes at KTDA saying the immediate task is to clean up the organization and break all cartels that have been fleecing farmers for decades.
“We know where the farmers have been losing money and those are the loopholes that we are going to close. We will also ensure that farmers are paid their mini bonus in the next few weeks,’’ said Ichoho.
He said the new board has well educated and competent members including the directors at factory level who are passionate about reviving the fortunes of farmers.
Ichoho said they are going to address all the issues affecting the tea sector with the focus on the farmer including mechanization of tea plucking which he said its time has come.
He thanked President Uhuru for the great support to tea farmers and CS Munya who he described as “njamba” (warrior) for his serious fight to ensure tea farmers and all other farmers in Kenya get their fair share from their sweat.
