Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings Ltd has launched a competitive, merit-based recruitment process to appoint a new Group Chief Executive Officer, following the impending retirement of its current CEO, Wilson Muthaura.
In a statement on Monday, the KTDA Board said the recruitment process has already attracted 50 applicants, including five internal candidates drawn from the organisation’s senior leadership ranks, among them serving managing directors and general managers.
The Board said the process will be strictly competitive and guided by merit, competence, sector experience and leadership capacity .
Muthaura is set to proceed on his pending annual leave days as he approaches the mandatory retirement age. He has served as Group CEO for five and a half years and will be accorded an appropriate send-off package in recognition of his service, according to the Board.
To ensure continuity during the transition, the Board appointed Eng. Francis Miano as Acting Group Chief Executive Officer.
The Board noted that the immediate successor who would ordinarily have assumed the acting role, Simon Rugut, was on approved leave at the time the need for interim leadership arose and as a result, the Board moved to secure experienced leadership without delay.
The Board said it has engaged an independent, professional recruitment panel to oversee the search and shortlisting process.
The recruitment will involve shortlisting candidates against a published job specification, objective assessments and competency-based interviews, reference and background checks, and final selection by the Board based on the panel’s recommendations.
KTDA reiterated its commitment to a transparent process that safeguards the interests of its smallholder tea farmers, shareholders and other stakeholders across the tea value chain.
“The Board is committed to a fair, transparent and competitive process that identifies the most qualified candidate to lead KTDA into its next chapter. We will ensure continuity of service to our farmers and partners while following rigorous recruitment standards,” the statement said.
Shortlisted candidates are expected to be invited for assessments in the coming weeks.
The Board said it will continue to communicate key milestones in the recruitment process and will announce the successful candidate once all due diligence and approvals have been completed.
KTDA Holdings Ltd is a key player in Kenya’s tea sector, representing hundreds of thousands of smallholder tea farmers through its management of tea factories and related value chain activities.
The appointment of a new Group CEO is expected to play a critical role in shaping the organisation’s strategic direction in the coming years.
