JUST IN: Enos Njeru Removed As KTDA National Chairman Replaced By James Githinji Mwangi

Enos Njeru removed as KTDA National Chairman replaced by James Githinji as Kenya Tea Development Agency Holdings Limited announces fresh leadership changes.

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings Limited has elected James Githinji Mwangi as its new board chairman, replacing Enos Njeru in another leadership shake-up at the organization representing hundreds of thousands of smallholder tea farmers.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, KTDA said its National Board had elected Mwangi following a board vote. Engineer Samson Mosonik Menjo will retain his position as vice-chairman.

The agency did not give details of the vote or explain the circumstances behind Njeru’s departure, but said the leadership changes would not affect its operations, assuring tea farmers and other stakeholders of continued stability.

The change comes just eight months after Njeru returned to the chairmanship in March 2026, replacing Chege Kirundi, who had taken over from him in January 2025.

Njeru, a certified public accountant and Zone Six director from Embu, first took the national chair in July 2023 after the departure of David Ichoho. His tenure has been marked by repeated boardroom battles and court cases.

In January 2025, the board voted him out and replaced him with Kirundi, a High Court advocate and Zone Three director from Muranga. Courts intervened within weeks, freezing the leadership question while litigation over the vote played out. By March 4, 2026, KTDA’s own governance notices confirmed Njeru back in the chair, with Samson Mosonik Menjo as his vice-chair.

The succession follows a period of repeated leadership changes and internal disagreements within the agency’s 12-member board.

KTDA Holdings said it remains committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance, protecting farmers’ value, and positioning Kenya’s tea competitively in regional and international markets.

“The Board congratulates the newly elected Chairman and Vice Chairman,” KTDA Holdings said in a statement, underscoring confidence in the new leadership’s ability to guide the agency forward.

James Githinji Mwangi previously served as a Director at KTDA Holdings Ltd and is an experienced tea sector leader.

The leadership changes come as KTDA continues to operate without a substantive Group Chief Executive Officer, with Engineer Francis Miano serving in an acting capacity following the departure of Wilson Muthaura in January.

The tea agency, which serves over 680,000 smallholder farmers and is the backbone of Kenya’s Sh215 billion tea industry, has faced scrutiny over poor pay for farmers and allegations of mismanagement.

Farmers will be watching to see whether the new leadership under James Githinji Mwangi will bring stability to the agency that has seen four chairmanship changes in the last four years.

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