The board of Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings has elected James Githinji Mwangi as its new chairman, ending Enos Njeru's second stint at the helm of the smallholder tea agency after barely eight months.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, KTDA said the election took place at a board meeting conducted in line with the Government Owned Enterprises Act, 2025, and that Samson Mosonik Menjo will continue serving as vice-chairman. The agency gave no reason for Njeru's exit and released no details of the vote.

"Business operations will proceed seamlessly," the agency said, assuring tea farmers, factory companies and other stakeholders that the change at the top will not disrupt the collection, processing and marketing of green leaf.

Who is the new chairman

Mwangi comes to the chairmanship from his seat as the Zone 2 director on the KTDA Holdings board, a zone that covers tea factories in Murang'a County. Trade publication Sacco Review reported that he previously chaired the board of Ngere Tea Factory, one of the smallholder-owned factories in the county.

Photographs released by the agency showed Mwangi receiving his election certificate from fellow directors at the KTDA offices in Nairobi on Tuesday.

In its statement, the board said it would keep its focus on efficiency, better returns to growers and the interests of the farmers who own the factories, but it did not set out new policy priorities or announce wider changes to the board.

A revolving door at the top

The change is the latest in a series of leadership shifts at the agency, which manages the processing and sale of tea on behalf of more than 700,000 smallholder growers through a network of factory companies across the country's tea-growing regions.

Njeru was first appointed chairman in July 2023 after the resignation of David Ichoho, and was re-elected in August 2024 for a three-year term. He was then displaced in January 2025 by Chege Kirundi, whose election followed a board contest that triggered a leadership dispute at the agency. Njeru returned to the chair in March this year, only to be replaced again on Tuesday.

That means KTDA has had three chairmen in under two years, at a time when the sector is grappling with reforms to the tea auction, pressure from growers for higher bonus payments and persistent questions about governance at the factory level.

What it means for farmers

KTDA's smallholder growers account for the bulk of Kenya's tea output, and the agency's decisions on factory management, fertiliser procurement and marketing have a direct bearing on the annual bonus that farmers depend on. The incoming chairman takes over as factories head into the peak production season that follows the short rains.

The agency said the transition would be handled in a way that protects stability for growers, and that it remained committed to continuity in all its operations. Mwangi has yet to speak publicly about his plans for the agency.

Photos: KTDA (via The Star and Kahawatungu). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.