IEBC denies facilitating Chebochok’s election as director of Toror Tea Factory » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 5 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has refuted claims that it facilitated the election of John Chebochok, who has been accused of sexually assaulting women, to the position of director at the Toror Tea Factory.
The electoral body in a statement asserted that Chebochok presented a valid certificate of good conduct, fulfilling the legal requirements for candidacy.
The electoral body’s Chief Executive Officer Hussein Marjan stated that this nullified any grounds for his disqualification by the commission.
“In the present case, Mr. John Chebochok presented a valid certificate of good conduct, and therefore, qualified as a person of good standing in terms of the provisions of the Articles of Association of Tegat/Toror Tea Factory Company,” Marjan sated in part.
He further emphasized that the IEBC upheld neutrality and transparency as mandated by the Constitution.
“In conducting the election, the appointed Returning Officer remained impartial, neutral, and transparent in keeping with the prescription of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Manual for Election of Directors of June 2024, Articles of Association of Tegat/Toror Tea Factory Company, and the applicable legal instruments as decreed by the Court,” he added.
The clarification follows calls for Chebochok to step aside after being implicated in a sexual harassment expose by the BBC.
Finlay’s Tea company in a letter to the Kenya Tea Development Association’s (KTDA’s) senior management warned that it would cease purchasing tea from the Toror Tea Factory unless action was taken against Chebochok.
Ben Woolf, Finlay’s Corporate Affairs Director, highlighted that the sexual abuse allegations against Chebochok, as reported in a BBC documentary from February 2023, led to Finlay terminating his contract. Despite this, no action was taken by the authorities.
“Please be aware that we will not be able to continue to purchase tea from the Toror Tea Factory while Mr. Chebochok holds the role of director. We are monitoring this situation closely and trust you will take swift and decisive action on this matter. We look forward to receiving your urgent response,” stated Woolf.
He further noted that retaining Chebochok would compromise the customer-supplier relationship and jeopardize the reputation of KTDA and the tea industry in Kenya.
In response, KTDA asserted that it does not have the authority to dismiss Chebochok, claiming that the shareholders of the Toror factory hold the final decision.
“He was elected by one of the six electoral areas of the factory on June 28, 2024, and the shareholders of the factory will have to make the final decision at a special general meeting on whether to accept him as the factory manager or not,” KTDA stated.
Woolf emphasized that retaining Chebochok would undermine the extensive efforts by various organizations to combat sexual and gender-based violence.
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