KWALE, Kenya – Tea farmers in Kenya are set to reap significant benefits as the country prepares to host Africa’s first decaffeination facility.
The project, spearheaded by Global Tea & Commodities Limited, aims to elevate Kenya’s position in the global tea market while boosting returns for local farmers.
The Sh3.2 billion investment will see the establishment of a state-of-the-art decaffeination facility on a newly acquired 17-acre parcel of land in Kwale County.
This will make Kenya the home of only the sixth such facility globally, allowing it to compete in the growing decaffeinated products market, projected to grow from $3.1 billion in 2022 to $4.7 billion by 2028, according to a BCCResearch study.
Traditionally, Kenya has exported raw tea to Europe and Asia, where value addition occurs before the products are sold back at prices nearly 10 times higher than their raw counterparts.
With the new facility, Global Tea & Commodities plans to reverse this trend by locally executing high-level value addition, significantly increasing tea farmers’ earnings.
In an interview, Fahim Ahmed, Managing Director of Global Tea & Commodities Kenya, shared the company’s vision for the facility.
“The decaffeination facility will see us execute high-level value addition to locally grown tea and coffee, increasing returns and contributing to the country’s socio-economic growth,’’ he said.
The expansion, which will grow the company’s operations space from 50,000 square feet to 170,000 square feet, is expected to create at least 600 direct jobs, in addition to the 800 already employed at its current Mombasa facility.
Indirect employment opportunities in the supply chain will also increase, further bolstering Kenya’s economy.
Global Tea & Commodities is committed to sustainability in its operations.
The planned facility will be powered primarily by solar energy, with modern water recycling and harvesting technologies incorporated into its design.
The company has previously won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, reflecting its commitment to environmentally friendly practices.
Fahim also highlighted the firm’s dedication to employee welfare, announcing plans to build health and education facilities for workers and their families.
“We hold our employees in high regard. We will set up health and education facilities, complete with qualified personnel, to cater to the families of our employees,” he said.
The facility will host advanced tea bagging and packaging areas, tailoring products for specific global markets.
With its reputation as the largest buyer at the Mombasa Tea Auction—accounting for nearly 15% of sales—Global Tea & Commodities is well-positioned to expand Kenya’s presence in the international tea trade.
By cutting reliance on imports of value-added tea and coffee products, the new facility will also reduce carbon emissions in its supply chain, aligning with global sustainability goals.
This development comes at a time when foreign direct investment (FDI) in Kenya has slowed.
Global Tea & Commodities’ bold move signals renewed confidence in the country’s investment climate, offering a promising future for Kenya’s tea industry and the thousands of farmers who rely on it.
