The Ministry of Agriculture has ordered tea farmers at the Kapkoros Tea Group and its satellite factories, including Tirgaga, Motigo, and Olenguruone, to receive new account numbers in a bold move to resolve the long-standing dispute among the factories.
This follows the farmers' move to boycott plucking and supplying green leaf to the Motigo and Olenguruone factories, demanding financial and operational independence from the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
The farmers had cited several frustrations, arguing that their earnings and bonuses should be based on the performance of their factories rather than being pooled under Kapkoros.
The dispute led to huge losses as thousands of kilos of tea went to waste and paralysed operations at the affected factories, prompting the government to intervene.
Following a meeting between Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwi, PS Agriculture Kipronoh Ronoh, and the factory stakeholders, the government ordered the immediate separation of Motigo's accounts as the farmers had earlier demanded.
The directive by the ministry follows a court case that had been filed by three farmers, Erick Tonui, Kiprono Langat, and Anthony Kipyegon Ngetich, to block the separation of Kapkoros Tea Factory and its satellite factories.
The farmers claimed that the decision to split accounts was made arbitrarily, ignoring previous resolutions suspending the move. The court had halted the split, but following the ministry's directive, the split will continue.
The ministry directed the farmers to withdraw the case from the court and cease hostilities against each other, stop engaging in any action that may interfere with normal operations or management of the involved tea factories.
Further, the directors of the factories have been directed to agree on the modalities of separation and ensure equity in the process to ensure the farmers are comfortable.
''That the directors agree on the modalities of separation, take due cognisance of all the issues obtaining, and exercise fairness in the discharge of their responsibilities,'' the statement by the CS read in part.
Additionally, the ministry has affirmed its directive on banning any form of tea hawking, with factories found hawking immediately delicensed, the aim being to cease hostilities against tea farmers.
The farmers from Motigo and Olenguruone have also been immediately directed to resume plucking and delivery of green leaves to their respective factories.
