Tea farmers boycott plucking in push for separation from KTDA
Small-scale tea farmers in Bomet and Nakuru counties have boycotted plucking and supply of green leaf to two factories run by KTDA.
Small-scale tea farmers in Bomet and Nakuru counties have boycotted plucking and supply of green leaf to two factories run by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) in a push for operational and financial separation from parent company Kapkoros Tea Factory Plc.
The boycott, which entered its seventh day on Monday, is the latest in a growing wave of demands by farmers for autonomy from the centralised KTDA model.
The aggrieved farmers say they will not resume operations until their demands are met.
The protest has paralysed operations at the Motigo and Olenguruone factories, with thousands of kilos of tea being wasted every day.
The affected farmers want the Motigo and Olenguruone factories to be run as independent units, with separate financial accounts from Kapkoros, which also manages Tirgaga and the protesting factories.
KTDA currently manages 71 tea factories in 21 counties, 54 of which operate independently and 17, like Motigo and Olenguruone, as satellite units under the main factories. An estimated 680,000 farmers supply green leaf to KTDA factories across the country.
“We are demanding the full implementation of a resolution that the accounts of Motigo factory be separated from Kapkoros. We want to be paid our monthly dues and annual bonus independently, based on the performance of our own factory,” said Agnes Koech, a farmer from Tegat village.
Motigo Tea Factory in Bomet County managed by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
Ms Koech and other farmers argue that while their colleagues in the Tegat/Chemaner and Mugango/Kiromwok zones have maintained high plucking standards by consistently delivering the required ‘two leaves and a bud’, other regions have not adhered to these guidelines.
This, they say, affects the overall quality and value of the tea and ultimately reduces their profits.
At an Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on November 15, 2023, it was decided that the Motigo and Olenguruone factories would be allowed to operate with financial autonomy, although certain functions would continue to be managed jointly.
A subsequent board meeting on January 9, 2025 at the Kapkoros tea factory reaffirmed the AGM decision and called for full separation of the factories' assets and accounts.
At the AGM on December 12, 2024, the farmers had voted overwhelmingly in favour of this move.
One of the sticking points in the current stalemate is the issue of smart cards to farmers.
These cards, designed to ensure transparency and accuracy at the buying centres, were procured under the Motigo factory's budget, but have yet to be distributed separately from those issued by Kapkoros.
“The cards were bought for us under Motigo, and we demand they be issued through our factory, not through Kapkoros. Once a resolution is passed at an AGM, it cannot be overturned by a board decision unless subjected to a vote in another AGM,” said Joseph Barmasei, a farmer from Kiptagich in Kuresoi South, Nakuru County.
Sources say that 15,000 smart cards, purchased at Sh100 each, have been procured specifically for Motigo farmers at a cost of Sh1.5 million. These cards are key to accurately weighing the green leaf and reducing tampering by KTDA officials at the collection centres.
A worker plucking tea in Koiwa, Bomet County, on February 21, 2025.
In a recent interview, Simeon Mutai, KTDA's zonal director for Tegat/Chemaner zone, confirmed that the push for segregation is based on strong legal and operational grounds.
“Each factory has its own CR12, a government issued document listing company directors and shareholding details at the Registrar of Companies. The formal separation of accounts is just a formality now,” said Mr Mutai.
KTDA, which remains the custodian of all assets in the factories it manages, has come under increasing pressure to decentralise and give more autonomy to satellite units, particularly in the western Rift Zone.
These include Bomet, Kericho, Nyamira, Kisii, Nandi and parts of Nakuru and Narok counties.
Some factories, such as Chelal and Toror in Kericho County, have already begun the process of breaking away financially from parent factories such as Litein and Tegat. The government has signalled its support for such moves.
An earlier boycott by Motigo farmers over similar concerns was temporarily resolved after government intervention, but the current stalemate suggests that deeper frustrations remain. It is estimated that more than 517,000 kilogrammes of green leaf has been wasted every day during the protests.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr Paul Ronoh recently acknowledged the farmers' grievances, stating that a technical team had been formed to consider the demands of the 17 satellite factories across the country.
“We’re assessing the requests on a case-by-case basis to ensure the process is seamless and that factory operations are not disrupted,” said Dr Ronoh.
The team was formed following a high-level consultative meeting between KTDA CEO Wilson Muthaura, former KTDA board chair Enos Njeru and Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) officials led by CEO Willy Mutai in late 2024.
Senate Majority Leader and Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot has thrown his weight behind the farmers' cause.
“The clamour by satellite factories for separation of bonus (second payment) calculations is legally justified and does not undermine the rights of founding shareholders or disinherit the mother factory of its investments,” said Mr Cheruiyot.
He also pledged to push for legal reforms to protect the rights of tea farmers, including better pricing, good governance of factory boards and timely payment of revenue.
Bomet East MP Richard Yegon also supported the farmers' demands, noting that the quality of green leaf varies from region to region, leading to disparities in market value and farmer incomes.
“The separation of accounts will ensure that each factory declares its own bonus based on its performance and standards. It will reduce conflicts and restore fairness in earnings,” said Mr Yegon.
The farmers' protest comes amid wider challenges in the tea sector, including falling demand in some international markets. Sudan, a major importer, recently banned Kenyan products, including tea, amid a diplomatic standoff between the two countries.
Kenya's main destinations for tea exports are Japan, the UK, Poland, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Iran, South Africa, Australia, Ghana and Nigeria.
Ongoing political and civil strife in several of these markets has affected sales and smallholder incomes.