The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has requested stakeholders in the industry to allow them to address concerns on how John Chebochok, an accused predator, was able to contest and be elected director of Tegat/Toror Tea Factory in the Ainamoi Electoral Area.
In a statement, KTDA highlighted Chebochok's involvement in a sex scandal reported by the BBC dubbed Sex for Work as the reason to address all stakeholder concerns before the approval of the newly elected directors.
The KTDA told stakeholders that unethical conduct would not be allowed because it jeopardized the sector's growth.
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"We call upon all our tea buyers, stakeholders, and partners to allow us to work with all the concerned players and authorities to resolve concerns raised regarding his nomination due to the legal and procedural complexities outlined above. We shall continuously update you on this since the process of confirming the Directors is yet to be completed," the statement read in part.
"KTDA has a zero-tolerance policy on gender-based violence, sexual harassment, corruption, and any other such unethical behavior and we condemn such acts that pose a great risk not only to Tegat Tea Factory Company but also to the entire tea sector in Kenya."
The agency also said that they had outsourced the election duties to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which cleared all candidates to participate in the polls.
KTDA acknowledged that it made a statement on June 25th requesting independent agencies to guarantee that those approved were not of dubious character or engaged in unethical activity.
"Each factory Company is an independent entity with its own memorandum and articles of association that stipulate how the directors' elections are to be done. He was elected by one of the six electoral areas of the factory on June 28, 2024 and the shareholders of the factory will have to make a final decision at a special general meeting on whether to accept him as a factory director or not."
The KTDA's announcement follows Finlays and Lipton's announcement that they would cease purchasing the plant until the matter was handled.
"LIPTON Teas and Infusions had been the largest buyer of tea from the Ainamoi zone. In light of these developments, we have immediately ceased purchasing from the Tegat/Toror factory and we are urging our industry partners to do the same until appropriate measures are taken to address this serious issue," Lipton said.
"Please be aware that we will not be able to continue to purchase tea from Toror Tea Factory while Mr. Chebochok holds the role of Director. We are monitoring this situation closely and trust you will take swift and decisive action on this matter. We look forward to receiving your urgent response," read a statement from Finlays.
