The management board of an Embu tea factory has rejected the amount given by the Kenya Tea Development Agency for mini-bonuses and instead approved a higher sum for its farmers.
Directors of Rukuriri factory in Embu East defied instructions by KTDA head office that Mt Kenya farmers be paid a flat rate of Sh5 per kilogramme of tea delivered from July to December last year. The same amount was to apply for future bonuses.
The board approved Sh10.50 per kilogramme, which is 30 per cent of each farmer’s total earnings. Three directors told the press yesterday that they were following the recommendations of their 10,000 farmers, who, in public participation meetings, demanded the amount.
Peter Njagi, Alex Muriithi and Joshua Kanake said the move was made after former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri asked KTDA to improve farmers’ payments following an uproar.
They said that in line with the CS’s directive, they, in April last year, sought views of the farmers after holding about six meetings.
Farmers welcomed the move, confirming that they gave them the go-ahead to approve the amount as the Sh5 directed by KTDA "is oppressive".
The directors said they approved the payment and wrote to KTDA’s head office to honour it, adding that they were still waiting for the word from the agency.
Their decision is expected to rub KTDA’s shoulders in the wrong. However, they maintained that they complied with the law, which mandates them to set the amount, hence the need for the head office should execute their resolution.