KTDA directors from tea-growing counties in the East of the Rift Valley have strongly dismissed remarks by Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Kiprono Rono regarding this year’s tea bonus payments, accusing him of misleading farmers and stirring unnecessary tension.
Speaking after a meeting in Murang’a on Tuesday, the directors said the PS’s claim that factories in the East benefited from bonuses meant for factories in the West was false and insulting to hardworking farmers.
They maintained that farmers from Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Meru, Embu, and Kirinyaga earned higher bonuses because of the superior quality of their tea, not favoritism.
Led by Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe, the directors said tea factories on both sides of the Rift have long cooperated, including through inter-factory borrowing arrangements. Kagombe revealed that as of September 30, factories in the West owed those in the East Ksh14.7 billion, while East-based factories owed Ksh422 million in return.
“The factories have always supported one another. Claims that the East is benefiting unfairly are divisive and untrue,” Kagombe said. He added that the borrowing arrangement was replaced with a Ksh21 billion facility at Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) guaranteed by KTDA.
The directors further dismissed allegations that hydro power stations in Eastern factories were funded by deductions from Western factories, saying each region mobilised its own resources to reduce processing costs.
“The West should focus on improving tea quality instead of politics. Former CS Peter Munya’s reforms on quality control must be respected,” said director Enos Njeru.
Njeru urged the government to review the heavy taxes on tea, saying more than 40 levies continue to hurt farmers. He also appealed to President William Ruto to hold a consultative meeting with tea directors to address rampant tea hawking, especially in the West, which he said undermines factory operations.
The directors also called for the reinstatement of the Rainforest Alliance certification, which they said helped market Kenyan tea in premium markets and ensured farmers received better returns.
“We never opposed certification. We only wanted lower fees, not its removal,” said Gerald Ngumba, another director.
The leaders cautioned that politicising the tea sector could undo decades of unity among farmers across the Rift Valley, warning that misinformation risks creating unnecessary divisions.
“For 70 years, farmers have worked in harmony. We will not allow anyone to divide us,” said Njeru.
