The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) tea directors from the Mogogosiek group of companies in Konoin Sub-county, Bomet County, have reassured farmers that next year’s bonus will significantly improve, following a series of reforms and an extensive audit conducted across factories in the region.
Speaking during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Mogogosiek Tea Factory, Chairman Mosonik Menjo acknowledged that farmers faced a difficult year due to low tea bonus prices and challenges in selling the produce.
He noted that a substantial amount of tea remained unsold, pushing KTDA to seek new international partners to open up more markets.
“This year we had problems with tea selling, and the bonus prices were low. But we are looking outside Kenya for partners who can buy the tea that has not been sold,” Menjo said.
He also assured farmers that KTDA has already fixed key gaps identified during the factory audit, especially in sections that previously consumed large sums of money. With improvements underway, he expressed confidence that the next bonus will be better.
“As per the KTDA matrix, farmers come first. We want them to get full value for their money,” he emphasized. “We need reforms. Some regions are doing well, but others have had to return to Parliament for amendments.”
Menjo further explained the disparity in earnings between the East and West of the Rift Valley.
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While Eastern factories posted higher bonuses due to consistently high-quality tea plucked throughout the year, the Western region struggled with fluctuating quality.
“Here in the West, quality has not been consistent. Sometimes we pluck good quality, sometimes it drops. That affects prices,” he said.
He added that when Western factories face rejection of their tea, some farmers divert their produce to private factories—an issue that affects overall KTDA performance.
A section of farmers welcomed the assurance from KTDA.
Farmer John Ruto said they were confident of better prices next year as long as farmers remained committed to maintaining quality. He blamed the Tea Board of Kenya for licensing private tea factories without enforcing strict compliance with regulations.
Another farmer, Elijah Langat, expressed satisfaction with the pledge, noting that farmers had suffered from low returns.
“We are happy because KTDA has assured us of good prices next year. We must keep our quality high because this year some of us were paid as little as Sh12 per kilo,” he said.
Farmers now look forward to a more promising year, with renewed hope that market expansion, quality improvement, and factory-level reforms will restore better earnings across the Mogogosiek tea belt.
By Philip Koech
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