The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has issued a clarification on the appointment of John Chebochok as the zonal director for Kericho County after organizations sought for his removal.
Chebochok was elected as the director for the Tegat/Toror tea factory in the Ainamoi zone on June 28, 2024.
In a statement on July 3, KTDA said it had no role in managing the election of smallholder tea factory directors, as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was in charge.
The agency indicated that its role was limited to administrative purposes, such as providing farmers’ details and venues for voting.
“As a legal entity, KTDA has no role in managing the election of smallholder tea factory directors except for the administrative purposes of availing farmers’ details and venues for voting,” read part of the statement.
“The responsibility of conducting elections was bestowed upon the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The role played by IEBC included vetting the candidates, receipt of nomination papers, printing of ballots, voting, and tallying of results.”
KTDA stated that Chebochok was cleared through the vetting process to run for directorship at Tegat Tea Factory despite being featured in the BBC expose of February 2023 called ‘Sex for Work: The true cost of our tea’.
Furthermore, it noted that it released a statement on June 25th urging the independent bodies to ensure those cleared were not of questionable character and unethical behavior.
“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, “the statement further read.
KTDA said the shareholders of the factory will have to make a final decision at a special general meeting on whether to accept Chebochok as a factory director or not.
“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, the statement further read.
“We shall continuously update you on this since the process of confirming the Directors is yet to be completed.”
The KTDA’s statement comes after Finlays and Lipton announced that they would stop purchasing the factory until the situation was resolved.
“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.
It stated that his appointment also undermines our customer/supplier relationship and puts the reputation of the KTDA and the wider Kenyan tea industry, at risk.
Finlays reported 1,527 cases of sexual harassment among its employees over the previous five years in 2023. Ninety-two percent of this has been resolved, with the remaining cases still pending in court.
In February 2023, Chebochok hit the headlines when the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Africa Eye and Panorama broadcast exposed him for exploiting female workers by demanding sex in exchange for job opportunities, contract extensions, and improved working conditions.
