The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has appointed Kanja Thuku as its new acting Group Chief Executive Officer, marking another leadership change at the organisation responsible for overseeing the country's smallholder tea sector.
Thuku will take over on November 10, 2026, replacing Eng. Francis Miano, who is proceeding on retirement after serving in the acting position since January.
KTDA Holdings Chairman Enos Njeru announced the appointment, describing Thuku as an experienced executive with more than 34 years of service at the agency.
Thuku currently serves as KTDA's Group Director for Special Programmes and has held various management and leadership responsibilities during his career at the organisation.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Nairobi and has undertaken professional training in logistics and fleet management, project management, food manufacturing, agricultural practices and sustainability strategies.
The board said his experience and institutional knowledge would support continuity as the agency undergoes the leadership transition.
Miano was appointed acting Group CEO on January 16, 2026, following the departure of former chief executive Wilson Muthaura, who proceeded on terminal leave after reaching the mandatory retirement age.
Miano, a registered professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience, previously headed KTDA's Group Technical Services Division.
His appointment was intended to provide interim leadership while the board pursued recruitment of a substantive chief executive. However, the recruitment process subsequently faced a court challenge, with the Employment and Labour Relations Court suspending the appointment process in March pending determination of a petition questioning its fairness.
The latest leadership change also comes amid tensions surrounding the agency's board. Njeru's position as chairman had been contested, but a court order subsequently reinstated him, according to reports by The Standard.
KTDA manages a network of tea factories and subsidiaries serving hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers across Kenya. Its operations cover tea processing, marketing and other services that influence the earnings farmers receive from their produce.
The agency plays a significant role in the country's tea industry, one of Kenya's leading sources of foreign exchange and rural employment.
The incoming acting CEO will therefore inherit an organisation facing pressure to improve factory efficiency, strengthen governance and secure better returns for farmers amid fluctuating international tea prices and rising production costs.
Thuku's immediate task will be to maintain operational continuity while the board addresses the longer-term leadership arrangements.
The appointment comes at a sensitive time for the tea sector, where decisions on factory management, processing costs, marketing and farmer payments have direct consequences for the livelihoods of smallholder producers.
