- The Tea Board of Kenya has suspended collection of the tea levy following a High Court order.
- The suspension covers tea imports and exports and will remain in force pending further court directions.
- Traders must continue complying with other licensing, registration, quality and customs requirements.
The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) has stopped collecting the tea levy on exports and imports after the High Court barred it from enforcing the charge while a case is pending.
In a notice dated October 27, 2026, the Board told all tea buyers, exporters and importers that the suspension takes effect immediately. It stays in force until the Board communicates otherwise, and remains subject to any further orders or directions from the court.
The notice says the High Court issued an interim conservatory order restraining the Board from collecting or enforcing the levy against importers and exporters of tea in Kenya. The levy is imposed under the Tea (Levy) Regulations, 2026, published as Legal Notice No. 56 of 2026. The restriction applies until the court hears and determines the application before it.
READ:
Consequently, the Board has stopped demanding and collecting the levy on tea leaving and entering the country. It says the move is in compliance with the court order.
The Board has also reached out to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) with a request to suspend collection of the levy on tea exports and imports. This step matters because it moves the pause beyond the Board’s own offices and into the collection process that traders deal with at the border.
Even so, the notice makes clear that the order does not loosen other rules in the tea trade. The Board has advised buyers, exporters and importers to keep meeting the remaining requirements for exporting and importing tea. These include licensing, registration, permits, quality standards and customs procedures
By Benedict Aoya
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
