An elaborate clandestine maneuver by the former KTDA Directors is in the offing to roll back the gains realised in the tea sector so far.
The disgraced directors are reportedly using underground tricks to incite the farmers to stop picking their crop which would adversely affect the sector.
Consequently the farmers are warning the clique to keep off the sector it had massively exploited for many years and let the new team that came in last year to discharge its mandate.
According to a Committee Member for the Ndimaini tea factory Christine Nyawira , the reforms which the government instituted from April last year have already started bearing fruit .
“The clique of the directors which was voted out by the farmers is now claiming that our democratically elected team should leave office as it came in during the just ended Jubilee Administration but we are telling them to tread carefully and keep off from the sector as they had had their messy time ,”Nyawira said.
Mithamo wa Susana who doubles as Ndima factory chairman and a Kirinyaga County board member who has been fighting for the farmers rights for many years said no one should stir the tea sector under the guise that the new team was not supportive of the UDA regime .
“The truth of the matter is that our Board is in full support of President William Ruto /Rigathi Gachagua administration which we overwhelmingly voted for and anyone trying to drive a wedge between the tea sector leadership and the current regime is just on a wild goose chase ,” wa-Susana said.
Another farmer Joseph Wamutitu claimed the disgraced directors wanted to disrupt the sector on realising that what they were benefiting from was no more.
“These people want to make a comeback to the sector because a mouth that has sucked never forgets easily the taste of milk but how mistaken they are !,” he said.
Farmers have since vowed to reject and resist any retrogressive move which will roll back the gains made so far in the ongoing tea reforms .
Wa Susana is also the Zone Five KTDA board member which comprises Ndimaini ,Kangaita , Mununga , Kimunye and Thumaita tea factories and has immense knowledge in the sector having been born and brought up in a tea growing family.