10 November 2009
editorial
Without doubt, the management of the small-holder tea sector represents one of the success areas in our agricultural management history.
Under both Kenya Tea Development Agency and its predecessor, the Authority -- Kenya has created a successful model that is worth emulating in other areas of commercial agriculture.
However, despite this success, there are areas of genuine concern as Agriculture minister William Ruto pointed out on Monday.
Since the changeover from the authority to an agency, KTDA has been under no independent oversight. That is a matter of serious public concern.
KTDA represents a critical economic constituency, having a monopolistic grip on tea factory management despite the law allowing competition in this area. No autonomous body has, for instance, scrutinised the multi-billion shilling tenders the agency has been issuing in the name of farmers.
True, the directors are elected but that does not always translate into public interest. Besides reducing the number directors from eight per factory to two and weeding out illiterate directors, KTDA must be made accountable to an independent body.
This body should thoroughly study the affairs of KTDA since its conversion, a role once played by the Parliamentary Public Investments Committee.
The agency should not be left to narrow private interests masquerading as interests of farmers.
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