Members of the Murang’a County Assembly have called on the Ministry of Agriculture and the local county government to address low tea bonus payments made by some factories.
The ward reps led by Kanyenya-ini ward MCA Grace Nduta noted that tea farmers were in the recent past promised significant bonus payments but were dismayed when they received much lower amounts.
Nduta accused the management of some tea factories of mishandling the payment process by announcing late how much they would pay, giving the farmers no opportunity to negotiate or reject the terms.
The MCAs’ sentiments come after farmers of the Githambo tea factory in Kahuro subcounty staged protests and suspended picking of green leaves, citing misappropriation of their bonus payment by their directors.
The protests led to the temporary closure of the factory by the area Deputy County Commissioner after the farmers threatened to burn down the factory.
“Some tea factories delayed announcement of the bonus amounts beyond the expected timeline," Nduta said.
"This left farmers with no option but to accept the lower payments. Further, the farmers had been promised substantial bonuses but ended up receiving much lower figures."
She urged the factories to declare the rate of bonus to be paid on time so that farmers could plan for their finances.
Unlike mango and avocado farmers, Nduta emphasized, tea farmers often suffered from arthritis and sharp wounds caused by tea branches, yet they continued to face unfair treatment in terms of payments.
“Avocado and mango farmers in the county receive better pay. However, tea farmers who are susceptible to arthritis and other diseases have been neglected,” she added.
Kangari MCA Moses Mirara urged the Assembly to intervene and come up with strategies that will improve transparency in the tea industry.
He advocated for digitizing tea sales, which would ensure that the payments factories receive for farmers’ green leaf are made public.
The MCA further suggested that the Assembly be requesting quarterly reports from tea factories in the county, saying the measures would help address the issue of low bonus payments.
“Since agriculture is a devolved function, the County Assembly should come up with measures that will benefit farmers. It can be asking for quarterly reports from tea factories or challenging them to digitise their sales,” he noted.
Mirara added that not knowing how much the factories make from sales left farmers with no option but to accept whatever bonus they were offered, with no means to challenge the figures.
Members of the National Assembly were also urged to come up with a law that compels all farmers whose goods are sold in dollars, to also be paid in dollars.
Kahumbu MCA Chefman Njoroge said this would ensure farmers were treated fairly and not subjected to unfavorable exchange rates.
Additionally, Njoroge encouraged farmers to keep clear records of the dollar value at the time of each sale to factories, allowing them to track payments and avoid being shortchanged.
“MPs should pass legislation requiring all factories that sell farmers’ produce in dollars to pay them in the same currency,” he said.
The MCAs also instructed the Chairperson of the Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Committee, Pauline Njeri, to investigate the matter and present a report explaining why tea farmers received such low bonus payments.
There are 10 tea factories in Murang’a County, and Gacharage paid the highest at a rate of Sh62.80, followed by Makomboki at Sh62.50. Njunu came third by declaring to pay bonus of Sh62.20 per delivered kilo of green leaf.