Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has called on Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) directors and farmers to rise above regional politics and safeguard the future of Kenya’s tea industry.
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Karungo cautioned that political forces were attempting to sow division among tea farmers for personal gain.
“My Mt. Kenya KTDA directors, let’s be clear, the problem isn’t PS Rono; the problem is the President himself,” he said, suggesting that some leaders close to the Head of State were working against Mt. Kenya tea farmers.
He accused certain officials of pretending to support reforms while “drinking tea with the President almost daily; the very tea you are fighting for.”
The senator urged farmers not to fall for what he described as a political ploy aimed at pitting regions against one another.
“After failing to turn the people from other regions against Mt. Kenya, the new plan is to turn tea farmers from other regions against Mt. Kenya tea farmers. Let’s not fall for it,” he warned.
Karungo emphasized unity as the key to restoring stability in the sector.
“If we truly want our tea to prevail, we must unite and work with other tea farmers from all regions across the country,” he added.
His remarks come amid growing divisions within KTDA leadership and heightened debate over tea reforms affecting millions of smallholder farmers.
 directors and farmers to rise above regional politics and safeguard the future of Kenya’s tea industry.){kind=link}