Tension ran high at Michimikuru Tea Factory on Monday November 24, 2025 after farmers thwarted an attempt by a splinter group to force their way into the factory and convene a parallel Annual General Meeting (AGM) Meeting.
The move came just days after a formal AGM was held on January 19, 2025 by the sitting Board led by Chairman Kobia Kathiri .
By dawn, determined farmers had taken positions at every entrance to the factory, forming human barricades to ensure the group identifying themselves as interim did not access the premises.
Armed police officers were also deployed in anticipation of possible clashes, maintaining a heavy presence throughout the day to deter violence.
“This attempt is ill-motivated and goes against the laws that govern the running of our tea factory and we are not ready to allow anybody to interfere with the running of the factory ,” said Benjamin Kubai one of the farmers.
He accused the splinter team of deliberately provoking disorder at the factory, adding that farmers were tired of disruptions that have crippled their earnings.
The farmers did not mince words in their accusations against area MP Mpuru Aburi, whom they alleged has been supporting the interim group to interfere with factory management.
According to them, the chaos witnessed last year during which tea leaves worth millions of shillings were set ablaze was fueled by political meddling disguised as leadership disputes.
“Last year’s AGM was marred with chaos. People were beaten, many were seriously injured and tea worth millions was burned because of cheap politics driven by selfish interests today we cannot allow that to happen again” said Kubai .
The charged crowd vowed to defend their factory from what they described as a calculated attempt to destabilize tea operations for political gain.
Their frustration was echoed by farmer Glory Kendi, who accused interim chairman Richard Aburuki of dividing farmers to advance his political ambitions.
“Richard and his team should wait until 2027 when elections will be held. As of now, our legitimate chairman is Kobia Kathiri, not otherwise,” Kendi noted.
Meanwhile, the Michimikuru Tea Factory management has issued a strong appeal to the government to protect the institution from what they termed escalating political interference that threatens the sustainability of the tea sector.
They warned that unchecked disruptions could undermine the factory’s stability and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers who depend on its operations.
During last week’s official AGM, several farmers raised concerns that persistent political interference since last year had not only fractured relationships but also significantly reduced earnings.
They noted that repeated stand-offs, court battles and attempts to seize control had weakened the factory’s production rhythm and tarnished its reputation as one of the region’s top tea producers.
Factory chairman emphasized the urgent need to insulate the sector from politics, warning that continued meddling could cripple production and drive farmers deeper into losses.
“We must resist attempts by politicians with vested interests to infiltrate factory affairs If we allow them to destabilize our operations, we risk losing the gains we have made over the years. Our focus should be on increasing production,value addition , improving earnings and safeguarding the livelihoods of our farmers.”Said the chairman .
Kobia reiterated the management’s support for reforms under the Tea Act, stating that if implemented fairly, the new regulations would ensure that farmers receive maximum returns from their hard work.
He encouraged farmers to remain united and vigilant, urging them not to fall prey to divisive politics that threaten to drag the sector backwards.
As the standoff eased later in the afternoon with police monitoring movements around the factory farmers, insisted their resolve remained intact vowed to ensure that no illegal meetings or leadership takeovers would be allowed to sabotage their factory again.
