CS Kagwe Directs Factories to Reject Sub-Standard Tea

By Ken Muthomi - Reporter

Kenya, 14 August 2026 - Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has directed tea factories across the country to reject green leaf that fails to meet the necessary quality standards.

The CS said that poor-quality green leaf is making it difficult for the government to implement the KSh 7.1 billion factory modernisation drive aimed at increasing tea quality and cutting production costs.

Improving tea quality across the country will be central to ensuring that the government secures premium markets for the country’s tea, which will translate into higher prices and better bonuses for farmers, according to Kagwe.

Kagwe gave the directive on Friday at Kapsara Tea Factory, where he handed over KSh 44.6 million for the installation of a new withering plant, and displayed samples of tea plucks that should be accepted in factories, two leaves and a bud.

“The Government's strategy is to create a new cycle of growth in the tea industry: modern factories, better-quality green leaf, higher-value orthodox and specialty teas, stronger value addition and, ultimately, diversification into more international markets,” the CS stated.

“If we have agreed that quality tea is two leaves and a bud, then that is what must come to the factory. We cannot have farmers who are doing the right thing being punished because a few others bring poor-quality leaf which is then processed together with theirs,” he added.

Even though Kenya exports millions of kilogrammes of tea annually, the CS maintained that even the slightest improvement in tea quality will attract billions for the country’s economy.

According to the CS, the new modernisation programme replaces ageing and inefficient machinery, improves energy efficiency, reduces processing costs and strengthens the ability of factories to produce higher-value tea products.

The programme is part of President William Ruto's wider agenda of transforming agriculture from primarily a production activity into a major source of household wealth, according to the CS.