Tea farmers and the management at Michimikuru Tea Factory in Meru County have appealed to the government to safeguard factory operations from what they term as escalating political interference that has cost the sector millions of shillings in lost income.
Speaking yesterday during the factory’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), farmers lamented that persistent political meddling since last year had disrupted operations, reduced earnings and strained relationships among stakeholders.
Addressing the gathering, factory chairman Kathiri Kobia urged farmers to resist attempts by politicians with vested interests to infiltrate factory affairs, warning that such interference risks crippling production capacity and damaging the region’s reputation as a top tea producer.
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“We are here to do business, not politics. Productivity and market competitiveness can only be maintained if farmers remain focused on quality production. So we are telling the government through the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure tea factories and tea marketing are insulated from interference by politicians and cartels so that we are able to produce quality and quantity tea for the global market,” he added.
Kobia said the management fully supports reforms under the Tea Act, noting that the new regulations if implemented fairly would ensure farmers benefit directly from their hard work.
“We are calling on the government to continue protecting farmers from exploitation by cartels and to support them with modern inputs so that we can produce high-quality tea,” he noted.
Board member Francis Mutua Ngatunyi also condemned the violence that has rocked the factory in recent months, praising farmers for conducting a peaceful AGM this year.
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He recalled that last year’s meeting turned chaotic after clashes said to be driven by political factions seeking control of the factory’s leadership.
“Thank you for having a peaceful meeting because you remember the last AGM was chaotic with violence caused by a splinter group calling themselves ‘interim’ and sponsored by a politician from this region,” Mutua said.
He called on the government to come up with a clear policy framework to shield tea factories from political infiltration.
Mutua urged the so-called interim group to respect the rule of law and wait for the next official elections of directors and board members instead of fueling division among farmers .
“We are ready to work with all leaders and stakeholders. All we ask is that everyone focuses on improving tea quality and securing new markets for Kenya tea,” he said.
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The leadership disputes at Michimikuru Tea Factory have been linked to a tussle over Sh 600 million project, with rival groups fighting to gain control of the investment.
The factory plunged into turmoil in November last year after management announced a bonus payout of Sh 35, the lowest in the region thus outraged farmers held protests that resulted in destruction of parts of the factory’s tea estate and a push to oust the board of directors.
Although the current directors obtained court orders to block their removal, a section of farmers reportedly backed by local politicians went ahead earlier this year to elect “interim directors” in a parallel process.
By John Majau
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