Tea Board of Kenya urges waiver of truck levy to protect farmers’ bonuses 

KENYA – The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) has called on the Mombasa County government to abolish the Kes 7,000 (US$540.21) levy imposed on every truck transporting tea to the port city. 

The board argues that the charge is eroding farmers’ bonuses and increasing the overall cost of production in the tea sector. 

TBK Chief Executive Officer Willy Mutai said the levy has become a heavy burden for farmers, particularly those supplying through the Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA).  

According to him, nearly 400,000 trailers transport tea from upcountry to Mombasa annually, with each lorry deducting Kes 0.5 per kilo of green leaf from farmers’ potential bonus. 

“We are urging Mombasa County to lift the Kes 7,000 they are charging per trailer. For every 21,000 kilos ferried, farmers lose part of their bonus. This is a huge cost that directly affects their earnings,” Mutai stated. 

Speaking in Mombasa during a three-day tea industry stakeholders’ consultative meeting and tea tasting session involving 70 gardens, Mutai further appealed to all 47 counties to waive advertising and branding charges on locally manufactured teas.  

He emphasized that removing these fees would create more opportunities for young people engaged in design, packaging, and branding within the tea value chain. 

“It is the responsibility of the Council of Governors, the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA), and TBK to ensure such charges are scrapped, as they directly impact farm-gate prices,” he said. 

Mutai explained that the high production costs are deducted before bonuses are paid, limiting farmers’ net earnings. He noted that every kilo of made tea requires four kilos of green leaf, meaning any extra cost significantly reduces bonuses. 

Despite these challenges, he commended farmers for their improved leaf quality and expressed optimism about stronger auction prices this year. 

Mutai revealed that some teas could fetch as high as seven dollars (Kes 910) per kilo, adding that orthodox tea producers must catalogue their teas by August 28, 2025, ahead of a dedicated auction day. 

EATTA Managing Director George Omuga also stressed the need for Kenya to increase value addition and local consumption.  

He noted that out of the 598 million kilos of tea produced last year, only 5% was consumed locally, while 95% was exported in bulk. 

“Kenya must move toward processing and packaging its own tea to reduce reliance on bulk exports. Much of the tea exported is value-added abroad and some of it even returns to our local market,” Omuga said. 

Both TBK and EATTA reiterated their commitment to improving farmers’ earnings, boosting local consumption, and securing Kenya’s position as a leading global tea producer. 

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