This archive report was first published on 23 September 2019.
Published on September 23, 2019, tea farmers in Kenya are facing a gloomy outlook as more tea factories under the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) management have approved reduced bonus payments. The latest approved figures show that Eberege and Ogembo factories in Kisii region will pay Sh12.30 per kilogramme, while farmers in Kiamokama and Rianyamwamu are set to get Sh11.50 per kilogramme of green leaf delivered between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019.
Other factories in the region have proposed payments ranging from Sh14.40 to Sh20 per kilogramme. In Murang'a County, with 10 tea factories, Githambo has proposed the lowest bonus payment of Sh27.75 per kilogramme. In contrast, Makomboki, Gacharage, and Ngeere factories have proposed payments of Sh36.50, Sh37.10, and Sh37.15 per kilogramme respectively.
KTDA Zone 2 board member Erastus Gakuya attributed the reduced bonus payments to the global trend affecting the industry. The best factories in bonus payout in the Mt Kenya region are Rukiriri (Sh39.20), Mununga (Sh37.50), Ngeere (Sh37.15), Gacharage (Sh37.10), Makomboki (Sh36.50), Kangaita (Sh36.05), and Imenti (Sh36).
