KTDA chairman Chege Kirundi (left) with CS Agriculture Mutahi Kagwe (Centre) and KTDA CEO Wilson Muthaura (right). PHOTO/UGC.
The battle for the soul of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) is not merely a turf war between a new board and a bitter old guard; it is a litmus test for Kenya’s commitment to public accountability, rural empowerment, and sustainable development. At stake is the future of over 680,000 smallholder farmers and the economic integrity of one of Kenya’s most vital export industries.
What we are witnessing is not opposition rooted in principle, but a desperate and dangerous counterattack by entrenched cartels that once turned KTDA into a personal cash cow. Their weapons of choice? Smear campaigns, disinformation, manipulation, and intimidation; the familiar playbook of those who thrive in opacity and panic when the lights are turned on.
Let us be clear: these cartels were dislodged, not defeated. And now, through both online sabotage and orchestrated public stunts, they are attempting to reclaim control; not to serve farmers, but to re-establish the privilege, corruption, and unaccountability that defined their reign.
For years, KTDA was more curse than blessing to the very farmers it was supposed to uplift. While farmers toiled in the fields, their returns dwindled, their voices were silenced, and their factories sank into debt. Meanwhile, a shadowy cabal within KTDA grew fat, shielded by bureaucratic complexity and political connections.
A damning audit by a multi-agency team chaired by former Attorney General Paul Kihara uncovered the rot. It revealed irresponsible borrowing, unregistered debts, questionable land purchases, and millions in legal fees paid without proper oversight. Top ranking officials at KTDA then featured prominently in the report.
The extent of mismanagement was staggering. Cumulative loans in the billions. Misused fixed deposits. Failure to disclose financial obligations. Flagrant violations of the Companies Act. Losses that forced factories like Kagwe Tea Factory into emergency borrowing just to stay afloat. This was not mere incompetence; it was deliberate sabotage of farmer welfare.
Yet, in a move rarely seen in Kenya’s corporate governance history, these individuals were removed in 2021, following Executive Order No. 3 of 2021. The message was clear: business as usual would no longer be tolerated.
Under the leadership of chairman Chege Kirundi, KTDA has embarked on what could be the most ambitious reform agenda in its history. And predictably, it has made enemies.
The new board is doing what the previous regimes feared most: returning the agency to its rightful owners; the farmers. Decision-making is being decentralised. Financial transparency tools are being rolled out. Farmers are being actively involved in governance. The “Farmers First” agenda is no longer rhetoric; it’s being operationalised.
Reforms are also future-facing. KTDA is investing in climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, carbon credit markets, and a shift from bulk exports to value-added specialty teas. These initiatives are not just economically sound; they are morally imperative. Kenya’s tea farmers deserve more than subsistence; they deserve dignity, prosperity, and global competitiveness. And therein lies the danger for the cartels.
Unable to regain power through legitimate means, the cartels have resorted to desperate antics. Anonymous social media campaigns, hired influencers, false allegations, and even a fake press conference; where media houses were invited to a Nairobi hotel only to find an empty room; have been deployed to undermine the reforms.
KTDA chairman Chege Kirundi. PHOTO/FILE.
This is not opposition rooted in policy debate. It is sabotage. It is what happens when legally dislodged elites find themselves without access to the trough.
Let us not be naïve. The smear campaign is not an isolated effort; it is strategic, well-funded, and coordinated. It is intended to sow confusion, divide stakeholders, and erode public confidence in the current board. But more importantly, it is a test of national resolve.
This is not just about KTDA. It is about what kind of country Kenya wants to be.
Will we be a nation where institutions are reformed and protected, or one where corrupt interests can claw back power through subterfuge and noise? Will we allow reformist leadership to be sabotaged by digital mercenaries and fake press events? Or will we, for once, stand with those who choose to lead with transparency and integrity?
Tea is not just a crop. It is the economic lifeline of rural Kenya. It pays school fees, supports households, and earns the country billions in foreign exchange. Reforming KTDA is not a bureaucratic exercise; it is a national moral obligation.
To stop this regression, concrete actions are necessary, not just from KTDA leadership, but from the entire governance ecosystem.
The Kihara-led audit recommended specific individuals for prosecution. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission must act. No reform can thrive if impunity prevails.
The government must ensure that board members and factory officials implementing reforms are protected from physical, legal, and digital harassment. Reform cannot be a suicide mission. The Tea Act 2020 must be enforced to the letter. Debentures must be registered. Proceeds must be remitted to factories promptly. Borrowing limits must be respected.
More investment must go into farmer education and engagement. An informed farmer is a resilient farmer, immune to propaganda and empowered to hold leadership accountable. Media houses must do better. Stop attending ghost pressers. Stop amplifying baseless claims. Investigate, verify, and report responsibly. This is not a circus; it is the future of hundreds of thousands of families.
Silence is complicity. Civil society must publicly support the reforms, demand accountability, and call out the return of corruption cloaked in the guise of “opposition”. This is not a time for neutrality. Every Kenyan; especially those who care about justice, integrity, and the dignity of rural livelihoods, must make a choice.
Do we stand with those who stole, mismanaged, and muzzled farmers for decades? Or do we support a leadership committed to transparency, farmer empowerment, and climate resilience? The answer should be obvious. Let the cartels scream. Let the fake hashtags trend and fade. Let the reform agenda march on. For the farmers. For the economy. For Kenya.
