Kericho: Farmers vote to break away from Litein Tea Factory
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A contingent of security officers was on Friday deployed to Kericho to ensure order during the repeat
of the Chelal Tea factory's 58th Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The meeting was stopped last week after chaos erupted following disagreement
among the small-scale farmers on several issues including splitting Chelal Factory
from the larger Llitein Tea Factory.
During the meeting, the security presence led to some members threatening to
leave, accusing management of employing intimidation tactics.
Despite the initial discord, the meeting continued, ultimately resulting in the
resolution for Chelal Tea Factory to attain independence from Litein Tea Factory.
The move according to the farmers, aims to empower the factory to independently manage its affairs.
They added that their desire for autonomy had long been shared by them and relevant stakeholders.
"I am pleased with the resolution of the meeting to
have the two factories split into two separate entities," Hellen
Chepkwony, a tea farmer, told Citizen TV.
Chelal was once a satellite factory of Litein Tea factory and was affiliated with
the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
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