- Through the programme, Njeru said KTDA will essentially be liable as a contributor to the fund in respect of its members.
KTDA will commence a scheme of paying full annual NHIF cover for its members which will then be deducted from their end-of-year bonus.
The Kenya Tea Development Agency Zone six board member Enos Njeru said piloting of the scheme is set to commence in some selected factories across the country later this month.
Through the programme, Njeru said KTDA will essentially be liable as a contributor to the fund in respect of its members.
Njeru was speaking on Thursday during the Annual General Meeting at Mungania Tea Factory in Embu.
He said the move was geared towards cushioning farmers due to the myriad financial hardships impeding them from accessing timely and quality healthcare.
He noted that many farmers are affected by respiratory and arthritis diseases due to harsh climatic conditions associated with tea growing zones.
Njeru said the scheme that will see the agency pay Sh6,000 to NHIF for each farmer for a full year cover.
"We have had numerous cases of fundraisers being held to help patients foot bills that could have otherwise been taken care of by the NHIF cover," he said.
At the same time, the board member announced that farmers will receive a mini bonus in early January as opposed to March as had been the norm to enable them to take their children back to school.
He said the bonus will be paid alongside the monthly pay of December and urged farmers to make good use of the money.
Farmers also unanimously passed a resolution to extend the term of office of the current directors until 2024, saying they had been satisfied with their performance.
“For the short duration they have been in leadership, we have seen much improvement in how our factories are run with a lot of transparency and our earnings have also improved tremendously," Teresa Muthoni one of the farmers said