DP enjoys walk at Kericho tea firms during summit

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua took a second-day walk on Friday morning in Kericho, where he was accompanied by Senator Aaron Cheruiyot and his Kiambu counterpart Karungo Thangwa.

Rigathi took the walk to meditate and internalize the deliberations they have had so far on Tea Reforms as they get ready for the second day of the TeaSummitKE.

He said it was satisfying to see fellow Kenyans up early and braving the cold morning to go about their hustles.

“We are determined to improve their lives; that's why we are in the grassroots to listen to their views as we implement the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda,” he said.

He said the walk is to make tea farming more profitable.

Under Executive Order No. 1 of 2023, President William Ruto tasked the DP with spearheading public sector reforms in the Coffee and tea subsectors.

A review of the Tea Act 2020 and the establishment of a new auction are among the issues that are set to be floated during the meeting.

It comes at a time when former directors are fighting back to have some of the reforms introduced scrapped, mainly on direct tea sales, the one-man-one-vote model in the election of KTDA directors, arguing it is disadvantaging farmers.