- Tea farmers react to varying bonus payouts across KTDA factories
- East Rift factories record declines while some West Rift factories post lower returns
- Farmers seek explanations on tea industry performance and bonus calculations
The factories that led in the tea bonus declaration, as farmers raise concerns over the reduced payment compared to the absorption rate of Kenya’s tea in the international market.
Factories in the East registered a decline in payment, as those in the West posted a slight increment.
Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) managed factories that took the lead are Rukuriri factory, which declared paying Ksh 50 per kilogramme of green leaf delivered in the year 2025/2026 compared to Ksh 57.50 in the year 2024/2025.
Other top performers included Gacharage Ksh 49 down from previous Ksh 51.1, Ngere Ksh 48 from Ksh 53.1, Gathuthi Ksh 47.50 from Ksh 56, Imenti Ksh 47 from Ksh 56, Mununga Ksh 47 from Ksh 57, Kiegoi Ksh 45.50 down from Ksh 50.2, Njunu Ksh 45.20 down from Ksh 50, Makomboki Ksh 45 from Ksh 47, Ikumbi Ksh 40 from Ksh 45, Momul Ksh 40.50 up from Ksh 32.5, Gitugi Ksh 40.50 from Ksh 42.5, Nduti Ksh 40 from Ksh 45.
In the analysis, Gianchore Ksh 18 and Kaptumo Ksh 12.50 are some of the factories in the West Rift that declared low bonus payments to the amusement of the farmers despite the promising returns.
Francis Chumo says in the declaration, the West Rift was affected due to low payout as compared to the factories in the East Rift where many of the farmers had been transported for benchmarking.
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“In the scheduled factory Annual General Meetings, the farmers will demand a pertinent explanation based on the performance of the tea industry,” said Chumo from Letein factory.
But farmers at Rukuriri and Gacharage factories in Embu and Murang’a counties, respectively, celebrated the bonus declaration, praising their board of directors for the best performance in the year, despite the slight reduction in the payout.
Jackson Njiru, a farmer based at Mbiu Njeru buying centre and affiliated with Rukuriri factory, says their board has been working to reduce production costs to access better bonus payments.
“Although last year we got Ksh 57.50 per kg, it was a shock that we would get Ksh 50 per kg. But all in all, the majority of the farmers were aware of the payment in the year following the myriad challenges that the sector experienced between July 1, 2025 and June 30, this year,” said Njiru.
KTDA National Chairman Enos Njeru said, in an interview, that the tea industry in the period under review faced challenges ranging from disruptions to shipment routes after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to the cost of petroleum, drought, and the imposition of a tea levy.
“The boards in the declaration of the bonus had to analyse the cost of production compared to the income generated in the period, with the balance allocated to the farmers based on their individual production,” said Njeru
By our respondent
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