- KTDA has procured 99,000 tonnes of fertiliser for more than 600,000 tea farmers, with delivery expected next month.
- The fertiliser will be distributed immediately upon arrival following shipment delays.
- KTDA is also diversifying tea markets and strengthening accountability amid ongoing investigations into an alleged Ksh322.5 million payment.
The Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) has procured two million bags of fertiliser for more than 600,000 farmers, with distribution set to begin next month following weeks of shipment delays.
The authority will receive 99,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser next month, according to KTDA National Chairman Enos Njeru, who said supplies would reach farmers immediately on arrival. The consignment had originally been scheduled for delivery this month, ahead of the anticipated rains, but technical and logistical setbacks pushed back the shipment.
“We have procured 99,000 metric tonnes, worth two million bags of fertiliser, which will arrive early next month and will be supplied to farmers immediately amid delays from the source,” Njeru said.
Beyond the fertiliser rollout, Njeru said KTDA was working to diversify its markets for locally produced tea, a move intended to cushion farmers after a recent dip in tea prices. The authority is also awaiting a court ruling on the proposed 0.8 per cent levy gazetted by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, which a group of farmers has challenged in court.
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Njeru acknowledged that KTDA and the wider tea sector had come under sustained public scrutiny in recent months, and pledged that the authority would strengthen accountability across its operations to protect the interests of its 600,000-plus farmers nationwide.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with tea authority chairmen in Naivasha, he pushed back against what he described as unverified social media claims and speculative commentary targeting the organisation, arguing that such reporting risked undermining farmers’ trust without cause.
Nonetheless, he said KTDA remained open to genuine reform proposals that could improve farmer earnings, stressing that no individual or group’s interests should outweigh those of the millions who depend on the tea industry for their livelihoods.
On governance, Njeru said KTDA leadership was committed to reinforcing financial discipline and transparency throughout the authority’s operations. He also welcomed a national government grant earmarked for replacing ageing factory machinery, which he said would cut operating costs and boost efficiency for farmers’ benefit.
By Benedict Aoya
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