Also known as: TBK
Tea Board of Kenya — regulator implementing a 0.8 per cent tea export levy as of May 2026, facing widespread farmer and political opposition.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Standard
… They also questioned the legality of the implementation of the levy by the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK), which has sparked backlash due to a lack of a gazette notice to legitimise it.This is despite the issuance of a regulation by the Ministry of Agriculture. …
Tea export levy raises concerns among growersGithunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has called for suspension of the 0.8 per cent tea export levy implemented May 1, saying it has burdened farmers already facing declining bonuses, increased competition from neighbouring countries, and falling auction prices. The government has defended the levy as funding price stabilisation, research, infrastructure and market development.
8 October 2026 · The Standard →
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has called for suspension of the 0.8 per cent tea export levy implemented May 1, saying it has burdened farmers already facing declining bonuses, increased competition from neighbouring countries, and falling auction prices. The government has defended the levy as funding price stabilisation, research, infrastructure and market development.
8 October 2026 · The Standard →
Tea farmers in the Mt Kenya region ignored a planned national strike and continued plucking, choosing instead to address grievances through end-of-year factory meetings. The strike had called for director resignations, scrapping of tea levies, audits of factory debts, and halting factory upgrades, but farmers said issues should be deliberated during annual general meetings rather than through strike action.
24 August 2026 · The Standard →
KTDA has dismissed documents circulating on social media about factory loans and governance as unverified, as farmers plan to petition for the removal of directors over alleged unexplained loans. The organization urged stakeholders to ignore the false information and called for constructive scrutiny based on authenticated documents.
19 August 2026 · The Standard →
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has emphasised value addition in the tea sector to boost job creation and increase farmers' earnings, speaking during the handover of a Ksh.28.7 million grant cheque to Thumaita Tea Factory in Kirinyaga County. The government is prioritising value addition across key cash crops including tea, coffee, avocado, macadamia, pyrethrum and cotton.
24 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe dismissed concerns that Kenya's Tea Levy is harming the tea industry, stating that tea uptake has surged to 93%, the highest in years. He argued the 0.8% levy on tea buyers—not farmers—is essential for financing research, global marketing, and value addition to secure the sector's future.
23 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Tea farmers in Kericho have called on the Tea Board of Kenya to withdraw the newly introduced 0.8 per cent tea levy, which took effect on May 1, 2026. Led by Governor Erick Mutai, they argue the levy further reduces earnings at a time of low returns and rising production costs, and urge the regulator to focus instead on improving tea prices and expanding markets.
6 July 2026 · The Standard →
President Ruto's allies, including Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Embu MPs, have opposed the Tea Board of Kenya's levy of Sh2.28 per kilogram charged to buyers, saying it forces them to seek alternative markets and costs the sector Sh1.2 billion annually. The leaders called on the government to remove the levy and instead fund tea research and marketing.
28 June 2026 · The Standard →
Tea farmers in Kirinyaga have raised concerns over a proposed levy by the Tea Board of Kenya, saying it will cut their earnings and increase their burden. They are calling on the government to allow them to export tea directly from Sagana instead of through Mombasa.
3 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The government has restored a tea levy for the first time since 2016, with regulations effective May 1, 2026. Exporters will pay 0.8 per cent of the auction value of tea exports, while tea importers will pay a levy equivalent to 100 per cent of the value of imported made tea; the government says the measure will fund research, market development, infrastructure and farmer protection.
3 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Tea sector players have moved to court to challenge new levies introduced by the Tea Board of Kenya.
19 May 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya's Tea Board of Kenya has implemented a 0.8 per cent levy on tea exports and imports as of May 1, but stakeholders question its legality, citing lack of a gazette notice despite a regulation from the Ministry of Agriculture and concerns about enforcement without proper gazettement.
4 May 2026 · The Standard →