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IEBC to conduct elections of KTDA directors

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The elections of directors of 54 smallholder tea factories under the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) will be conducted on 28th of this month.

In a deal brokered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) the voting exercise will follow the board’s election manual which requires candidates to have O-level certificates and must be a farmer who has delivered tea to their respective factories.

“The kilogram of green leaf to be used shall be in accordance with respective articles. In particular, kilograms from June 2023 to May 2024. The payslip to be stamped by the Factory Unit Manager,” said Mithika Linturi, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

The elections follow a court directive issued on April 11, 2024 which came after wrangles pitting KTDA against former directors hence delaying the elections by at least one year.

Besides signing contracts with individual factories for the conduct of election for its directors, IEBC will also handle dispute resolution functions emerging from the process.

“We want to assure the farmers of this country that our resolve is to facilitate a free and fair elections for the will of the farmers and shareholders of these factories is represented through the elections,” he said.

The commission is further expected to prescribe a transparent process of submission and shortlisting of candidates.

“Ministry of Interior and National Administration has also committed to taking control of security so that there is no disruption,” Linturi added.

IEBC is also to publish notice of vacancies of the positions and print ballot papers with photographs of the candidates.

kra