KENYA – The Board of Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) Holdings has elected Chege Kirundi as its new national chairman.
Kirundi replaces Enos Njeru, while Eric Chepkwony has been retained as the vice chairman.
Kirundi, the board member for Zone Three in Murang’a County, has been instrumental in championing tea reforms in Kenya, including the enactment of the Tea Act 2020.
He also serves as the chairman of Kiru Tea Factory Company PLC. His extensive professional qualifications include a law degree from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and credentials as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Additionally, he is a qualified Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths, certified Public Secretary, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIP), and professional mediator.
KTDA is a private company owned by approximately 600,000 smallholder tea farmers across 16 tea-growing counties in Kenya. These farmers are shareholders in 54 tea companies that own KTDA Holdings and its nine subsidiary companies.
KTDA recently accused the government and political figures of interfering in the management of smallholder tea factories, a move the board claims has negatively affected the sector and farmers’ incomes.
The KTDA Board has also criticized the Ministry of Agriculture for removing reserve tea prices at the Mombasa Tea Auction without consulting stakeholders.
This decision, according to the board, has resulted in a significant decline in tea prices, adversely impacting farmers’ earnings.
Additionally, the board expressed dissatisfaction with Agriculture Principal Secretary Kiprono Ronoh’s unilateral announcements regarding the separation of satellite factories from mother factories, alleging a disregard for farmers’ interests.
Tea remains one of Kenya’s leading foreign exchange earners, contributing approximately 23 percent of total foreign exchange earnings and 2 percent of the agricultural GDP.
In the first ten months of 2024, tea export volumes surged by 20.8 percent to 500.8 million kilograms, compared to 414.5 million kilograms in the same period in 2023.
Export revenues rose to KES 155 billion (US$1.19 billion), an increase from US$1.09 billion in 2023, driven by strong demand in key global markets.
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