Tea Farmers hold grass root elections

Tea Farmers in Kirinyaga County have held grass-root elections in all its Zone Five  electoral areas .

The peaceful elections held under tight security now paves way for the ushering in of a new leadership in the troubled agricultural  sector.

The names of those elected   under  the ongoing tea reform program  are expected  to be gazetted next week by the  Registrar of Companies making  the rejected zonal  leadership  under Peter Mwai  as its Director irrelevant .

Daniel Bundi queues  at Kiranja primary school grounds this  morning before being elected  as a Director  for the Kangaita Tea Factory after beating his sole rival James Maina who only managed 50 votes against 368 .

Since these elections are being conducted countrywide, the results will now herald in new KTDA Board of Directors .

The long serving KTDA CEO Lerionka  Tiampati  whom the  600,000 tea growers have been   tired of is now  on his way out alongside his equally  long serving Chairman  Peter Kanyago , according to the reforms.

At Kangaita  tea factory electoral  area which has six zones , Daniel  Bundi was elected to represent Thaita  South  which was  previously  led by Nicasio Mwai .

The 34 year old Bundi is a son of a tea farmer  who has grown up seeing the sufferings his two parents (now deceased ) had been going through under the draconian  stewardship  of the KTDA.

Upon being elected Bundi  vowed to continue championing positive reforms which would end making the farmer the boss and not a slave of the KTDA .

“ Farmer can from now on count on me since I will  confront head on all  their predicaments under the hands of the KTDA which had transformed itself into a monster “ he declared .

As for Kariko South electoral area Cyrus Munyua went in unopposed  replacing the longest  serving Board MEMBER Peter Mwai  who could not seek for the post since the new reforms have barred his team.

Munyua  assured the growers he would ensure their interests were  well  taken care of wile  he would be always available and     with them since he is one of them.

At Ndima electoral area , a   onetime Director John Mithamo wa Susana was elected to represent Kiine South  Lower Zone .

Mithamo was unceremonious thrown ut of the Factory leadership after   sharply differing with the  then Zone Five Director  and colleagues  over  the  alleged gross mismanagement of the farmers funds .

The matter went to court but unfortunately, he lost but this morning luck came knocking after he recaptured his seat by being voted back overwhelmingly by the  farmers .

Tight security prevailed at the entrancer to the Kiranja primary school grounds this  morning which was the venue for the grassroot KTDA elections  under the ongoing  tea sector reforms 

His ouster was the precursor to the long struggle for the reforms which the government is keenly implementing  hence the popularity of Wa -Susana amongst tea farmers.

Other elected as farmers at Ndima tea factory were Daniel Muriuki,Josiah Muriuki Johnston Muchiri and Francis Kabata .

By the time of going to press results   for Mununga, Kimunye and Thumaita  tea factories were yet out .