NAIROBI, Kenya, July 15 – The High Court has suspended the swearing-in ceremony of John Chebochok as the newly appointed director of Toror Tea Factory pending hearing and determination of the petition filed against him.
The Kericho-based court therefore directed all the petitioners as well as the other interested parties in the case to serve and file their written submissions within 3 days ahead of its ruling set to be delivered on August 15, 2024.
Chebochok’s swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to take place during the factory AGM on July 18, 2024.
Early this month, various multinational companies, including Lipton Tea and Infusions Company, announced that they would no longer purchase tea from the Toror factory after the appointment of John Chebochok as a new director.
In a letter directed to former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi, the Chief Supply Chain Officer of Lipton Tea, Bruno Laine, stressed that other tea suppliers should also refrain from purchasing tea from the factory until the necessary action is taken against Chebochok, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment against women.
“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,” stated Laine Lipton, Chief Supply Chain Officer.
Lipton urged the relevant authorities to reverse the appointment of the director and take the necessary action to ensure that sexual harassment and gender-based violence are tales of the past.
Sentiments have arisen from major tea suppliers who have been purchasing tea from the Toror tea factory following the appointment of Chebachok as the director last month, despite being accused of the heavy allegations that were exposed by the BBC in February 2023.
In a letter directed to the Kenya Tea Development Association’s (KTDA’s) senior management, Finlays Tea Company Corporate Affairs Director Ben Woolf also threatened to cease purchasing tea from the factory if the director is not dismissed.
Responding to the matter, KTDA, however, stated that it does not hold the mandate to see the removal of Chebochok from office regarding the matter that is before the court.
