Kenya to launch orthodox tea auction at Mombasa Exchange in September 

KENYA – Orthodox tea will now be traded at the Mombasa Tea Auction following confirmation by Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) Chief Executive Willy Mutai. 

Speaking in Mombasa during a three-day stakeholders’ consultative forum and tea testing exercise, Mutai said the country now has adequate volumes of pure orthodox tea to support regular trading.  

The auction, which has traditionally dealt in black CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea, will officially begin orthodox tea trading on September 17, 2025. 

According to Mutai, producers have until August 28 to catalogue their teas for the inaugural sale. The East Africa Tea Traders Association (EATTA) has also established a dedicated line at the auction for orthodox tea. 

“So those teas that will be auctioned have been given a chance up to August 28. They will have their own day because now we have enough volume. After all, the government has licensed over 34 factories, which are already producing,” Mutai explained. 

The TBK CEO noted that several companies are already engaged in pure orthodox tea production, including Siomo Tea, Choimim, Nndarawetta and Matunwa. In addition, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) smallholder subsector has constructed 34 factories dedicated to orthodox tea. 

Factories with Continuous Direct Compression (CDC) lines have also diversified operations by adding second or third lines to produce orthodox tea. These include Tumaita, Kimunye, Githuki, Imenti, Chelal, and Besonik. 

Kenya’s orthodox tea subsector recently attracted significant foreign interest. In June, Benny Tea, one of China’s largest tea firms, announced a Kes13 billion investment aimed at expanding Kenya’s orthodox tea exports.  

The company will focus on modernising production processes, enabling Kenyan teas to access a wider share of the Asian market. 

Orthodox tea is processed through traditional methods such as plucking, withering, rolling, oxidising, and drying, preserving the leaf’s natural properties and distinctive flavours.  

This makes it different from CTC tea, which is machine-processed on a larger scale and produces a more uniform flavour. Orthodox teas are valued for their delicate make and complex taste, often fetching higher prices in international markets. 

With the inclusion of orthodox tea at the Mombasa Tea Auction, Kenya is set to diversify its offerings, strengthen export potential, and enhance its position in the global tea trade. 

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