The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) has highlighted measures the government has taken to enhance the country’s tea industry.

Speaking at Karatina University during the centenary celebrations this week, TBK CEO Willy Mutai announced that the government has invested heavily in the sector to ensure farmers benefit from their input.

“The first thing that the government has put in place is ensuring that farmers get the right price for their tea. This year, the government has invested Ksh2 billion for fertiliser. The government has also set aside Ksh1 billion to build a factory for value addition, which will be set up in Kericho. There are also other plans to expand tea facilities in Mombasa to make sure we have common-user facility,” Mutai stated.

Mutai also revealed that the board, in agreement with the government, has made it easy for investors in the tea sector to get licensed, especially those investing in tea processing.

“An investor can get licenced within 30 days. We also give training to anyone starting a tea factory. Now we have 142 tea factories in the country, with the government having 34 factories processing what we call the orthodox tea,” Mutai added.

TBK centenary celebrations

The celebrations at Karatina University are meant to highlight achievements made since 1903 when tea was first planted in Kenya in Limuru, Kiambu County by white settlers for experimental purposes. 

Currently, commercial tea in Kenya is grown in 19 counties including Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Nyamira, Kisii, Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans-Nzoia, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, and Meru.

Today, Kenya’s tea sector is one of the country’s leading foreign exchange earners, contributing about 23 per cent of total foreign exchange earnings and two per cent of Agricultural GDP.

TBK estimates that Kenya produces over 450 million kilograms of tea every year, generating more than Ksh120 billion in export revenue and Ksh22 billion in local sales.

The industry directly and indirectly supports approximately five million people, with an estimated 650,000 smallholder tea farmers depending on tea production, making the sector one of the country’s most important industries.

The Heritage Week will focus on the cultural, historical, and social aspects of Kenyan tea. During the event, Karatina University will host a series of activities designed to engage the local community, academia, and tea stakeholders in exploring the journey of tea over the past century.

After the Heritage Week at Karatina University, TBK will head to Mombasa for the Kenya Tea Summit which will bring together key players from across the global tea industry to reflect on Kenya’s 100 years of tea production and strategize for the future. The summit will focus on enhancing tea quality, market competitiveness, and sustainability in the industry.

The summit in Mombasa, which will be officially opened by President William Ruto, will entail a tea industry conference/symposium, which will feature two days of discussions covering topics such as the Evolution of Kenya’s tea industry, climate change, sustainability, and market dynamics.