NAIROBI, Kenya – Senators have raised alarm over glaring inequalities in tea bonus payments across Kenya, with smallholder farmers in some regions earning more than four times what others receive for the same crop.
The lawmakers, speaking in the Senate on Thursday, said the 2024/2025 bonus rates released by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) revealed deep disparities that have angered farmers in tea-growing regions west of the Rift Valley.
While farmers in parts of the Mt Kenya region will earn as much as Sh50 per kilogramme, those in Kisii, Nyamira, Nandi and Vihiga counties will take home as little as Sh10 to Sh12, prompting protests and destruction of property in some areas.
“Farmers in Kisii and Nyamira have started destroying tea collection centres in protest, believing their sweat and toil are not being fairly rewarded,” said Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri, calling for urgent government intervention.
Okenyuri said the inequality had exposed systemic flaws in KTDA’s pricing and distribution system, questioning whether smallholder farmers outside Mt Kenya were being deliberately disadvantaged.
“Tea is one of our top foreign exchange earners and supports millions of families. Unless the disparities are urgently addressed, we risk destabilising the sector,” she warned.
Unanswered questions and growing frustration
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka faulted KTDA and the Ministry of Agriculture for ignoring the issue despite repeated appeals.
He accused the agency of using outdated methods to determine tea quality, which he said have been used to justify lower payments in western Kenya.
“We are still tasting tea using the tongue, yet science offers objective parameters like iron and potassium content to assess quality,” he said.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei described the discrepancies as “a great travesty and injustice”, arguing that there is no scientific basis for the large gap between regions.
He cited figures showing Kinoro factory in Mt Kenya paying Sh48.10 per kilo, while factories in Mudete (Vihiga) and Chebut paid Sh10 and Sh12, respectively.
“If KTDA doesn’t fix this, we will uproot tea altogether and see where tea lovers will get their brew,” Cherargei warned.
KTDA defends regional variations
However, some senators defended the agency, saying factory-level management and quality control were the key determinants of bonus rates.
Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi said factory boards, elected by farmers, were responsible for the efficiency and quality of operations.
“In Nyansiongo, the rate dropped from Sh30.50 to Sh12 — an Sh18.50 difference. That’s a management issue. Some factories pluck four leaves and a bud, while others pluck two leaves and a bud. Quality matters,” Murungi said.
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina also argued that uniform bonuses would be unrealistic given variations in soil, climate, and demand.
But Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah accused KTDA of neglecting western tea zones since market liberalisation, saying rogue traders had flooded the sector and compromised quality.
“KTDA should extend its management systems beyond central Kenya and weed out buyers who collect substandard leaves,” Omtatah said.
Calls for government action
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang urged the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure equitable bonus payments, while acknowledging that tea quality and production conditions differ across regions.
Nominated Senator Joyce Korir echoed the calls for reform, saying the government must convene stakeholders to “develop a fair, lasting solution.”
“It’s unacceptable that some regions earn as low as Sh10 per kilo while others get Sh50. The ministry must act,” she said.
Protests in tea belt regions
The debate comes amid mounting discontent in tea-producing regions west of the Rift Valley — including Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Bomet, Nandi and Vihiga — where farmers say they have been shortchanged by factories that announced meagre payments compared to previous years.
According to KTDA data, the decline also affected average factory prices across the country.
For instance, factories in East Rift and Kiambu fetched Sh371 per kilo, a Sh46 drop from last year’s prices.
