KTDA Chair David Ichoho resigns amid State push to reform tea sector

KENYA – David Ichoho  has resigned as the Chairman of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) after two years at the helm of the agency that provides agri-extension, transportation, processing, and marketing to smallholder tea farmers in the country.

Ichoho took the reins as KTDA Holdings Chairman in June 2021 following the nationwide ouster of the previous tea factory and KTDA board directors in line with the Jubilee Government’s directive for reforms in the smallholder tea farming sub-sector.

His tenure as the Chairman of KTDA has been marked by challenges and controversies surrounding the governance and management of the country’s tea sector.

Over the past few years, concerns have been raised regarding the pricing structure, accountability, and equitable distribution of revenue among smallholder tea farmers. These issues have sparked calls for greater transparency and reform within the KTDA.

The resignation comes at a time when the Kenyan government and industry stakeholders are actively working towards implementing reforms in the tea sector.

Efforts are underway to address issues such as price discovery, revenue distribution, and governance practices to ensure a more equitable and sustainable tea value chain.

During a recent tea conference, the Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, hit out at some individuals, saying he will be inviting the National Intelligence Service to move in and conduct an audit.

“Farmers are very good people and have sent us details. Somebody has traveled 36 times out of the country on farmers’ money. You must agree to work with us, or you lose everything, otherwise, as a government, we have a way of removing you from office so that we work together,” he said.

“…. I have done a few cross-checking and we are going to give our National Intelligence Service to verify so that we are not accused of being unfair. Once that is processed and verified, we shall call you the directors and tell you the truth so that we can agree on how to move forward.”

Before the resignation, Mr. Ichoho revealed that under the new arrangement, key performance indicators to monitor the performance of the management agency continuously have been introduced.

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