KTDA:Court dismisses petition challenging election of officials

0

High court has dismissed a petition by three farmers who were challenging the election of Kenya Tea Development Agency officials.

While delivering the ruling, Justice Weldon Korir said the case lacked merit as it did not pose a constitutional question.

Joseph Mwangi Mbote, Peterson Maina Gathua and Samson Mwangi Wairugu challenged the rules under which the elections were conducted and questioned the mandate of the company secretary as the chief electoral officer.

KTDA argued that the petitioners had moved to court before going for arbitration or through the established dispute resolution mechanism put in place.

The judge also affirmed the role of the company secretary in the election process.

“It was within the mandate of the company secretary to come up with the rules and oversee the elections,” added Justice Korir.

The three farmers had argued that the company secretary had unilaterally and without authority published an election procedure manual for KTDA.

The officials who had been barred from office by the court pending the hearing and determination of the petition can noe go back to office.