Former Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) directors yesterday stormed into KTDA headquarters resulting in new confrontations over the control of the agency.
The ousted officials were trying to forcefully take over the operations from the office headquarters in Nairobi.
They had been ejected out of office as a result of state-backed reforms done by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.
The former officials occupied the agency’s offices by force for the early part of the morning with the operation led by former KTDA chairman Peter Kanyago.
Kanyago stated that they were resuming their duties in accordance with the High Court orders and the current officials in office were going against the court’s ruling.
KTDA chairman David Muni Ichoho while responding to the claims given by the disposed of officials, brushed off Kanyago’s moves to reoccupy the office terming it as “political intrigues which are going to destroy the sector”.
“Matters on the legality of the board of KTDA Holdings are currently pending in the stayed High Court petitions. Any action to be taken by any person interested in the matter lies on the outcome of the consolidated petitions,” Ichoho said.
Peter Kanyago and his camp went to seek legal redress after being ousted from office after an election had been conducted in the agency, followed by an executive order that was issued in March this year.
They had been accused by the Ministry of Agriculture of resisting policies meant to reform the tea sector and rid it of cartels and brokers.
The High court revoked the implementation of the executive order but the Court of Appeal stalled the order while waiting for an appeal against the ruling by KTDA.