Tea farmers cry foul over delayed bonus pay
Seth Mwaniki @MwanikiM
Over 600,000 tea growers across the country, majority of who are smallholder producers may remain cash-strapped for an indefinite period of time after an unusual delay of mini bonus payment by Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
Mini bonus is part of payment that tea farmers receive annually in May for every kilo of green leaf sold between July and December of a previous year, ostensibly to facilitate their financial needs awaiting the main payment.
However, as the month of May entered homestretch yesterday there were signs that the mini bonus will be effected before the end of day or even in days to come.
Already farmers have started crying foul for lack of this payment, saying it has pushed them into a web of debts since their financial management culture has already been altered as it heavily relies on mini-bonus.
Single shilling
Esther Muthoni, a farmer at Gitugi tea Factory in Othaya, Nyeri County said her children went back to school having not paid a single shilling as fees as she hoped of doing so upon receiving the mini bonus in due time.
“I am afraid that my children who are in secondary school may be sent home for fees and I have no idea how I will settle this,” she said.
Another farmer, Patrick Ngunjiri claimed that KTDA could be on a vegeance mission after the government through the ministry of Agriculture effected tea reforms that are seemingly unpalatable to the agency.
“We surely know that KTDA operatives are acting in anger due to the ongoing changes in tea sub-sector. But we are demanding to be paid our money,” he said.
Ngunjiri added: “This is because we always make our finacial plan on the strength of mini-bonus availability normally during this month.”
Leadership wrangles continue to persist as it is said KTDA has frustrated the assumption of office by new directors who were last month elected in a controversial election to represent farmers in factories.
Last week, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya directed former directors of tea factories affiliated to KTDA to surrender all relevant documents to the new managers to guarantee a smooth takeover.
