KTDA dismisses false media reports on 2024/2025 tea bonus payments 

KENYA – The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has dismissed figures circulating on social media that claim to represent the final bonus payments for tea farmers in the 2024/2025 financial year. 

In a statement issued on September 3, KTDA clarified that no factory has yet declared its final payment and described the information shared online as inaccurate and misleading. 

“Factories have not yet declared their final payment for the 2024/2025 financial year. The numbers circulating online are therefore false,” the agency stated. 

KTDA confirmed that official figures will be announced later this month once the declaration process has been concluded. The agency urged its more than 650,000 farmers to remain patient and rely only on verified communication channels for updates. 

“We would like to inform our farmers and all stakeholders that the final numbers shall be communicated once the process has concluded,” KTDA added, reaffirming its commitment to transparency through its “Farmer First” principle. 

The clarification comes as tea farmers across Kenya await the annual bonus payout, a crucial income source for households and communities in tea-growing regions. The bonus, traditionally declared in September and paid in October, is determined by each factory’s performance over the financial year. 

KTDA manages 71 tea factories in 21 counties, with 54 operating as fully autonomous factories and 17 run under mother factories. Before the bonus is declared, factory directors meet to review earnings and performance. 

Payments are calculated based on the total revenue generated from tea sales over the previous year. After deducting operational and overhead costs, the balance per kilogram of green leaf is established. Farmers then receive this balance after deducting the advance monthly payment of Kes 23 per kilogram already issued during the year. 

In 2023, Kenyan tea farmers sold a record 1.4 billion kilograms of tea, the highest volume ever achieved. Farmers collectively earned Kes 67.7 billion (US$523.7M), up from Kes 62.88 billion (US$486.4M) in 2022, representing a 7.6% increase in overall payments and a 17.6% rise in earnings per kilogram. 

According to the Tea Board of Kenya, the sector generated Kes 250 billion (US$1.93B) in 2024 from domestic and international sales, with production rising to 598 million kilograms compared to 570 million the previous year. 

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