A FILE photo of KTDA chairman David Ichoho and Group CEO Wilson Muthaura
The Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) is the latest Kenyan corporation facing strong accusations of mistreatment and sexual harassment of staff.
In the latest twist to the story we first unravelled in November 2022, employees at KTDA have raised serious concerns over the alarming rate of used condoms found inside garbage bins at their headquarters.
The issue was first brought to the attention of a supervisor by janitors in charge of cleaning the corner office at Farmers Building, along Moi Avenue, Nairobi.
But in recent weeks, the shocking habit has strikingly worsened.
Over a dozen workers have so far confirmed witnessing the unsettling scenes, which they blame on KTDA CEO Wilson Muthaura.
In previous publications, this blog has relentlessly shed light upon glaring cases of mismanagement, corruption and sexual scandals at KTDA.
Sex scandals, mega scams rock Peter Munya puppet and populist KTDA management
Local media reported that upon his rise to the position, Muthaura embarked on a serious witch-hunt at the headquarters by ruthlessly sending senior staff home and replacing them with his incompetent acquaintances.
This was against due process and only inspired by greed, nepotism and tribalism.
At the time, he also faced accusations of sexual escapades together with a section of KTDA’s top administration.
Insiders who spoke to this blog under the request of anonymity described their boss as a “loose zip” and “serial womanizer” with an appalling level of arrogance.
“He is extremely proficient in intimidating and threatening his self-perceived enemies,” one source said.
Most recently, he was found in contempt of court after failing to act on orders issued on reinstating the Managing Director of the Kenya Tea Packers (Ketepa) Albert Otochi and the General Manager of KTDA Power Company Japheth Sayi.
In a ruling dated December 15, 2022, Judge B O Manani, also directed the CEO to reinstate the full salary of the two officials, which had been cut to half after their suspension in September.
Sources privy to the matter, however, say that Muthaura has vowed not to follow the orders.
He was recently overheard stating that if he is forced to bring anyone back, they will be frustrated into quitting.
One way he plans to do this is by fixing them into multiple scandals and later giving them up to the authorities.
“Muthaura always brags of enjoying the backing of powerful officials in the Kenya Kwanza administration, including President William Ruto.
He says that Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mithika Linturi is always on his speed dial whenever he needs favors from the government,” another source added.
KTDA CEO Muthaura Declares War on The Court and Former Officials Alleging Backing from Ruto, Linturi
In a letter dated September 22, KTDA suspended Mr Otochi and another company official and placed them on half salary, however, the court restrained the agency from effecting the directive.
The two officials went to court in September after they were served a show-cause notice for allegedly interacting with some directors of KTDA.
According to Mr Otochi, Mr Muthaura is misrepresenting himself as the group chief executive officer, yet he is the general manager of human resources and administration and hence not his supervisor.
He says issuing the letter when he is not his supervisor was unlawful.
He further says the CEO started the disciplinary process against him, while the human resource policy says suspension should only be issued where there are pending investigations.
Mr Otochi says he was suspended, yet there are no pending investigations.
Further, he says the group HR policy also allows him to interact with directors, and the purported charges for gross misconduct for interacting with directors are illegal.
Mr Muthaura was appointed as KTDA’s chief executive following the suspension of the former head, Lerionka Tiampati.
Muthaura brought on his side acting company secretary Mathews Odero.
Odero, according to an insider source, is being used to pay suspicious legal fees running to millions of shillings to a number of law firms.
To frustrate those senior managers said to be sympathetic to former directors, they have employed the services of one Grace Korit alias “GK”, as General Manager, Human Resource and Administration who took over from Muthaura.
GK, like Kennedy Ochwando, the KTDA Group Head of Procurement and Logistics, takes instructions from Muthaura.
At KTDA, the “mean-looking” Muthaura is referred to as Bwana Rungu by the staff.
GK is a frequent visitor to Bwana Rugu’s office, where they spend time plotting schemes on who to be axed or kept at work based on their loyalty to him.
Senior managers in good books with the cartel are Esther Mburu, Manager of Audit and the stout roundhead “Francis Muthamia” the General Manager of Sales and Marketing and Kanja Thuku, the acting Manager of Operations.
Insiders say millions cannot be accounted for with Muthaura and cronies hiring choppers to criss-cross the country visiting factories and flying their slay queens to Mombasa whenever on tour.
The cartel controls the finance, human resources, procurement, operations, sales and audit departments.
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