Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday, January 16, held a meeting with the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Board at his Harambe Annex office.
Taking to his Twitter account after the meeting, Gachagua said he discussed with the board how to lock out cartels from the tea sector.
“We discussed and agreed on a strategy of ensuring the small-scale tea farmer reaps more benefits from the cash crop, especially by eliminating cartels. We have created a caucus to guide on how best to unchain the small-holder tea farmer from the grip of cartels,” Gachagua wrote.
The second in command also stated that he is committed to addressing the challenges the board raised.
“I have reiterated the commitment of H.E. President Ruto, of ensuring that unscrupulous people in the value chain at the detriment of the farmer are eliminated. We shall address any legal, market, and other challenges in the face of reforms that the board has raised,” he added.
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He further stated that the Kenya Kwanza government administration has no personal interest in the sector.
“We have no personal interest in the sector other than the interest of the local farmers. The situation we have now is not pleasant. It is a vicious cycle of poor returns for our tea farmers. The tea farms make beautiful scenery across the country but the owners remain poor,” said the DP.
The meeting comes a week after President William Ruto assigned DP Gachagua to take charge of reforms in the tea, coffee, and milk sectors.
