Linturi challenges Munya over tea payouts ahead of 2027 Meru governor race

Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has challenged his predecessor Peter Munya to reveal the payout records for tea farmers, in a move that has heightened their political rivalry as they both eye the 2027 Meru governorship. This came during a statement from Linturi on November 8, 2026, where he questioned Munya's grasp of agricultural development and criticised his approach to handling the ministry that he inherited.

Linturi defended his tenure, stating that he dealt with a ministry burdened by financial problems and legal issues. He pointed out a Ksh6 billion debt due to maize millers for maize meal, which he supplied to Kenyans. He also highlighted pending court cases over reforms in the tea industry when he took office. Linturi introduced a fertiliser subsidy program to help alleviate the cost of production and support farmers, including those in tea-growing areas.

He also mentioned stakeholder engagement, market expansion, and farmer registration as key interventions during his time. Linturi maintained that he facilitated resolving pending legal cases affecting the tea sector and expanding new markets for Kenyan agricultural products. He also claimed that his administration registered farmers nationwide to create reliable data for government programmes.

However, these claims need to be treated with caution as parliamentary records show that imports of rice, maize, and sugar continued during his tenure. Linturi's direct challenge to Munya was to publish a report on tea farmer earnings during his time in office and compare it with the payouts recorded during Munya's tenure. This challenge comes amid growing public concern over differences in factory bonus payments for tea farmers in Meru.

Recent figures showed varying bonus payments for farmers in different factories. The controversy between the two former Cabinet Secretaries is now becoming a central part of the political discourse in Meru, as they compete for the governorship in the upcoming August 10, 2027 election.