Government Backs Measures to Revitalise Kisii Tea Sector

Principal Secretary for Agriculture Dr Kiprono Rono and Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Mr. Stephen Isaboke, engaged the Board of Directors of Nyamache Tea Factory on measures to address challenges facing tea farmers and strengthen the tea value chain in Kisii County earlier today. 

The engagement forms part of the Government's Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society approach, which seeks to bring together different Government agencies and stakeholders to address issues affecting citizens and improve service delivery.

Tea remains an important economic activity in Kisii County, supporting thousands of households and contributing significantly to the local economy. The discussions focused on measures to improve farmers' earnings through value addition, innovation, digitalisation, direct marketing and reduction of production costs.

PS Isaboke underscored the importance of the tea sector to families in the region, noting that many households have historically relied on income from tea farming.

“Many of us from Kisii grew up on proceeds from the sale of tea,” said PS Isaboke, emphasising the need for Government and stakeholders to find practical and sustainable solutions to challenges facing tea farmers.

He welcomed the initiative by the Nyamache Tea Factory Board, which represents the interests of farmers, to engage Government on interventions aimed at revitalising the sector and improving returns to growers.

Among the challenges discussed were old tea bushes, ageing factory equipment and the high cost of production. The meeting noted the need for interventions that can improve productivity while lowering the cost of production for farmers.

On his part, PS Dr. Rono welcomed President Dr William Ruto’s directive on subsidised fertiliser prices for tea farmers, noting that reducing input costs would provide relief to tea farmers and support the profitability of tea production.

The discussions also explored the digitalisation of factory processes and marketing as part of efforts to improve operational efficiency, expand market access and enhance the competitiveness of the tea value chain.