The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) vice chairperson vacant position has attracted at least three candidates eyeing one of the most influential positions in the country’s tea industry creating creating a stiff encounter as every candidate eye to win.
The position of vice-chairmanship is influential as it oversees operations affecting more than 680,000 small-scale farmers across 77 factories in 21 counties, making it central to Kenya’s top agricultural export.
The vacancy came over after Erick Chepkwony, who also served as Bomet County’s Chief Officer for Finance, collapsed and died on May 21, while attending a KTDA finance committee meeting in Nairobi. He had been elected vice chairman in August 2024.
Following his death, Eng Samson Mosonik Menjo was elected KTDA Zone Nine (Bomet) chairperson and has declared his bid for the vice-chair role. Others in the race include Philip Kipkenoi Langat of Zone Eight and James Omweno Ombasa of Zone Eleven.
ALSO READ:
Mbadi: Export growth and debt discipline are driving Kenya’s economic stability
Fifteen KTDA board directors from the East and West Rift will vote to fill the post, with the election date expected next week.
The five candidates have hit ground running with intense lobbying across different tea zones.
“I am gunning for the position of KTDA vice chairman, and I appeal to directors from all zones to support my candidature so we can help turn around the fortunes of tea growers in the country,” Menjo said.
His rivals, Omweno and Langat, argue the board, government, and other stakeholders must do more to expand Kenyan tea markets and secure premium prices for farmers.
At the zonal level, Chepkwony has been replaced by his elder brother, Edward, in elections presided over by the IEBC on July 28. Directors and farmers in Zone Nine are pushing to retain the vice-chairmanship within Bomet County.
By Juma Ndigo
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
