The Senate on Monday passed the tea Bill without making any amendments after a nod by ODM leader Raila Odinga to the Senators to pass the tea Bill in a bid to reform the sector that has faced challenges in the past.
The Senate affirmed the national assembly’s resolve to establish a Tea board that will oversee activities in the sector despite the council of governors’ opposition. The Bill, a brainchild of Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, will clip the powers of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and revive the Kenya Tea Board.
Through a statement on Monday, Raila had tasked the Senators to pass the Bill and bring an end to dramatic scenes of farmers uprooting their crops or promising to do so because the crop no longer pays.
“Fixing the tea sector is a critical step to putting the country on a path of economic recovery through agriculture,” he had said. “The Bill will ensure that tea auction organisers, buyers and brokers pay farmers within 14 days from the proceeds of the sale of tea in addition to ensuring that factories pay 50 per cent of the sales to farmers among other benefits,” he added.
The Council of Governors, however, had hoped senate would amend the Tea bill and remove the clause establishing the Tea board that if signed into law will manage the tea sector in the country.
The Senate passed the tea bill devoid of any amendments saying the tea board would be instrumental in reviving the sector.
The Tea board among other things, the senators said would go along way in eradicating cartels through monitoring and licensing agents and companies involving in buying and selling of the green leave.
The bill proposes that only tea factories with 100 acres under tea bushes get licenses to operate while farmers will be paid 50pc of their tea sales 14 days after the date of the auction.
Deputy President William Ruto had also asked senators to pass the Bill. He said passage of the Bill would help address challenges a majority of small-scale farmers face.
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