CS Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe, PS Agriculture Kipronoh Ronoh and Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot launching a value addition unit at Momul Tea Factory in Kericho during the International Tea Day./HANDOUT.
Kenya is seeking to expand its presence in more international tea markets.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has said that Kenya is pursuing deliberate strategies to diversify markets by expanding Kenya tea presence in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America. This, he said, will help to reduce dependence on a few traditional markets.
The CS spoke during the International Tea Day celebration at Momul Tea Factory in Kericho County.
According to the Tea Board of Kenya, Kenya is looking towards North Africa and North America for new tea market destinations, and also seeking to deepen its presence in the UAE.
“At the same time, we are encouraging greater investment in value addition and product diversification because the future of Kenya tea lies beyond bulk exports,” said Kagwe.
“We must increasingly move towards orthodox teas, speciality teas, green teas, purple teas, herbal blends, branded consumer packs, tea bags and other innovative tea products that attract premium prices in international markets.”
Through value addition, Kagwe said they shall increase earnings, strengthen the Kenya Tea brand and create more employment opportunities for our people.
“Climate change remains one of the greatest threats to sustainable tea production. The Government is therefore promoting climate-smart agriculture, environmental conservation, water management, renewable energy adoption and sustainable land-use practices within tea-growing regions,” he added.
The CS noted that global markets are increasingly demand compliance with Environmental, Social and Governance standards, hence Kenya must continue positioning itself as a trusted source of sustainably and ethically produced tea.
The CS noted that Kenya’s position as the world’s leading exporter of black CTC tea is a testament to the resilience, commitment and hard work of tea farmers and industry players.
“Our tea continues to enjoy international recognition for its quality, flavour and consistency, reinforcing Kenya’s reputation as a global leader in tea production,” he added.
The CS acknowledged challenges facing the sector, including declining tea prices and earnings, rising costs of production, price volatility in global tea markets, climate change, evolving sustainability requirements, geopolitical instabilities affecting trade, and the high cost of value addition. He also mentioned Kenya’s overreliance on black CTC tea and a limited number of traditional export markets.
“These realities call upon us to embrace innovation, diversification, strategic reforms and stronger collaboration across the entire tea value chain,” he said.
On the implementation of the Tea Levy Regulations, 2026, Kagwe said the levy is intended to provide for a sustainable funding model for tea industry programmes, including promotion and marketing, branding and value addition, research, quality assurance and effective regulation in order to enhance the competitiveness of Kenya’s tea industry.
He assured Kenyans that this initiative is not intended to impose unnecessary burdens on tea farmers or businesses, but rather is intended to ensure that some of the proceeds from tea exports are ploughed back into the development, protection and competitiveness of the tea sector.
“The levy is being charged at the point of export, and factory directors should not waste millions of tea farmers' funds in unnecessary litigations on matters which they already litigated and consented to in April 2024,” he said. “We shall continue engaging stakeholders transparently to ensure accountability, effective implementation and equitable benefits across the tea value chain.”
He encouraged all stakeholders to strengthen environmental stewardship, ethical sourcing, human rights due diligence, decent work standards, traceability systems and sustainable certification.
“Kenya Tea must remain globally respected not only for its quality, but also for its commitment to responsible production, sustainability and social accountability.”
The International Tea Day, marked under the theme, ‘Fostering Growth and Inclusion’, brought together farmers, manufacturers, traders, machinery suppliers, service providers, development partners, researchers, government agencies, tea consumers in recognition of the contribution of the tea sector to the national economy and the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans.
