This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
On August 5, 2020, the government of Kenya implemented new tea regulations that have been met with enthusiasm by small-holder farmers.
The regulations aim to tame the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), which has been accused of unfair practices.
According to Tealand Smallholder Tea Farmers Association Chairman Richard Cheruiyot, the new regulations will force KTDA to pay farmers at least 50% of their deliveries as monthly payments, with the balance being paid as an annual bonus.
Cheruiyot cited the example of farmers who supplied leaf to Litein Tea Factory last year, earning a total of Sh32 per kilogramme of tea supplied. The first payment was Sh18, and they earned a bonus of Sh14.
William Ketteinya also welcomed the directive, saying it will create transparency in company secretarial services by allowing individual tea factories to engage their own company secretary.
Cheruiyot also called for the scrapping of the current system of elections of factory directors, saying it is not in the interest of tea growers to see new bodies being created.
