Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has told the country’s tea farmers that the Kenya Kwanza administration will fully implement the Tea Act 2020 on Monday, after previous governments failed to.
Speaking on 6th Thursday 2023 during the national Tea Summit in Kericho County, DP Gachagua noted that once passed, the government will be helping farmers seek amendments to the Act.
“From Monday we shall implement the Tea Act 2020 that is presently enforced, we shall ignore those who are against it. The Act will be implemented as it is even when we continue to seek amendments,” DP Gachagua said at the Kericho Golf Club.
The DP urged tea sector stakeholders present to freely make contributions to the ongoing reforms in the sector, adding that the conference had been specifically organized to listen to them as the reforms are implemented.
“I want to invite you to be honest and brutally truthful. Be free to tell us where the challenges are. This is the last conversation we are going to have about tea. We cannot keep saying these things every year. It is the time to tell us the oppressors, who are frustrating you and we will act on them,” added the DP.
Once implemented, the Tea Act 2020 is expected to reform the tea industry, as well as improving returns for small-scale tea farmers.
Leaders accompanying the DP for the two day summit are Cabinet Secretaries Mithika Linturi (Agriculture) Kipchumba Murkomen (Roads and Transport), Governors Dr Eric Mutai (Kericho), Dr Hillary Barchok (Bomet) and Cecily Mbarire (Embu).
Others are Stephen Sang (Nandi), Wisley Rotich (Elgeyo-Marakwet), Senators Cheruiyot, Wakili Sigei (Bomet), Kathuri Murungi (Meru), Karungo wa Thangwa (Kiambu,) Tabitha Keroche (Nakuru), Kamau Murango (Kirinyaga) and a host of MPs.
The Tea Conference in Kericho is being held after the Coffee Summit in Meru last month.
These summits bring respective stakeholders together to agree on the best intervening measures to make the sectors profitable to the farmers.
