Nairobi — The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has urged politicians to stop politicizing tea sector reforms and instead address the issues through Parliament, as mandated by the electorate.

Speaking during a press briefing at a hotel in Murang'a County, KTDA Chairman Chege Kirundi criticized elected leaders for taking the debate around the Tea (Amendment) Bill to political platforms, yet the Bill is currently awaiting Third Reading in Parliament.

He called on leaders to channel their proposed changes through the House. Kirundi said that although KTDA does not support some clauses in the Bill, the agency has formally submitted its concerns to Parliament for consideration.

Among the contentious proposals is the reduction of factory representation from six directors to between three and five per factory.

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Kirundi warned that such a move could disrupt established zones and weaken accountability and oversight within tea factories.

He also raised concern over provisions barring factory board members from serving on the KTDA board, arguing that this does not constitute a conflict of interest as suggested.

The KTDA chairman further noted that some challenges facing the tea industry including the loss of export markets such as Sudan and Iran, fluctuations in the shilling against the dollar, and reduced harvests due to erratic rainfall are beyond the agency's control.

Kirundi reaffirmed KTDA's commitment to safeguarding farmers' interests through improved legislation, securing new markets, and ensuring timely delivery of farm inputs.