Regulator seeks to join case against new tea law
Wednesday February 03 2021
By SAM KIPLAGAT
Summary
More than 50 tea factories from central Kenya have opposed an application by Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to join a case challenging sections of the Tea Act, which have since been suspended by the High Court.
Led by Mungania Tea Factory Company Ltd, they said the regulator has no legal footing to oppose the case since it lacks board members to authorise it.
AFA sought to join the case saying the order last month had crippled its statutory functions, among other reasons.
More than 50 tea factories from central Kenya have opposed an application by Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to join a case challenging sections of the Tea Act, which have since been suspended by the High Court.
FARMKENYA INITIATIVE
Crop
By Macharia Kamau | January 25th 2021 at 08:40:00 GMT +0300
Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives CS Peter Munya says reforms will increase earnings. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]
The Tea Act, 2020 is facing fresh headwinds after three separate High Court orders suspended the implementation and execution of several key provisions of the new law.
This was after they were challenged by various industry players. The Act was assented to by President Uhuru Kenyatta last December and the Agriculture ministry has published implementation guidelines for the new laws, indicating its readiness to roll them out.
Yesterday, the ministry invited industry players to give comments on two sets of draft regulations, one re-introducing the tea levy and another on how payments to farmers will be made.