KTDA Holdings Board Chair Peter Kanyango (left) receives his election certificate after he was re-elected on October 25, 2019. /COURTESY.
OTHAYA, Kenya Oct 25 – Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings Board Chairman, Peter Kanyago, has been re-elected as the smallholder tea farmers’ representative for the Zone Four area.
In what was an overwhelming display of confidence among farmers from the Zone, Kanyago won by 29 votes to one to retain his seat at the national level.
Zone Four consists of five tea factory companies namely: Chinga, Iriaini, Gitugi, Gathuthi and Ragati.
Speaking after being declared winner, Kanyago thanked farmers from the area for displaying confidence of having him representing them at the Zone and consequently at the national level; adding that the exercise is a demonstration of the democratic process through which farmers elect their representatives.
“I am grateful to the tea farmers in Zone Four for electing me to represent them. It is an overwhelming display of confidence and a responsibility which I humbly accept. Today’s exercise was undertaken in accordance with the company rules and regulations which allows tea farmers to directly, and democratically, elect their preferred representatives,” he said.
He added: “Elections in Tea Factory Companies take place every year on a rotational basis where directors who were in office together with other interested shareholders have the chance to convince farmers that they were the right leaders; an exercise which culminated in the elections that were held today.”
Kanyago dispelled claims that the election of farmers’ representatives is restrictive, adding that the process is free, fair and transparent. “The annual elections enable smallholder tea farmers, who are the shareholders of the Tea Factory Companies, to elect representatives to the factory boards to oversee the prudent management of factories.
The annual poll is part of the Corporate Governance process that requires shareholders to elect representatives to their Boards. Every member whose name is entered in the register of members is referred to as a shareholder; the shareholder is allotted shares and holds them in their own right which gives them a right to vote for the leadership they desire.
Voting is done in consideration of the number of shares one holds as stipulated in the companies’ law,” he said.
Shareholders interested in vying for directorship, and who have fulfilled the required qualifications as stipulated in the Articles of Association, have a chance to apply for the position after which verification of qualification is done. During the robust process, the applicants are thoroughly vetted so as to ensure their eligibility.
The impartiality of the process allows the farmers to elect the right leadership to represent them; with a dispute resolution process providing a peaceable and fair way to work through and resolve questions, disputes, misunderstandings or differences that may arise during the process.
