- KTDA and Eastern Produce factories lead the winners at the Tea Classes Competition in Nairobi.
- Specialty tea varieties also feature prominently, with several factories recognised across different categories.
- Industry leaders call for stronger farm and processing standards to keep Kenyan tea competitive in global markets.
Factories under Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and Eastern Produce won top honours at the Tea Classes Competition in Nairobi.
The awards were handed out during the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit. Agriculture Principal Secretary (PS) Kiprono Rono and Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) Chief Executive Willy Mutai presented them jointly. They recognised factories that showed excellence in processing, innovation and quality from the field to the cup.
KTDA factories dominated the main black tea categories. In Black Crush, Tear, Curl (CTC), Ngere Tea Factory took first place, with Rukuriri Tea Factory close behind in second. Orthodox tea, which relies on whole leaf processing, also favoured the agency. Gitugi Tea Factory won that class, while Kionyo Tea Factory came second.
Eastern Produce (K) Limited, meanwhile, claimed the Special Manufacture class. Its Kepchomo Tea Factory finished first, and Chemomi Tea Factory followed in second, giving the company a clean double.
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Beyond the mainstream teas, the competition also spotlighted specialty varieties aimed at high value niche markets. Browns Plantations Kenya, through its Chomogonday factory, won in purple tea. Ernestea Tea Factory took the green tea honours. Two more KTDA factories rounded off the winners, with Michimikuru Tea Factory Company Limited leading in oolong and Kapkatet Tea Factory Company Limited in zebra tea.
Even as winners celebrated, industry leaders turned attention back to the farm. They argued that new technology must walk hand in hand with discipline in the field. In particular, they stressed the time honoured rule of plucking two leaves and a bud, which they described as the foundation of world class tea.
Speaking at the ceremony, officials noted that every cup of Kenyan tea reflects the effort of farmers and the standing of the whole industry. They therefore urged factories and small-scale growers alike to keep standards high at every stage, from the soil to the final packaging, so that Kenya stays competitive in global markets.
By Benedict Aoya
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