Two weeks after the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) directed its 54 factory units to increase green leaf payments, many factories, particularly in West of Rift region, have reverted to previous lower prices, sparking anger among 700,000 small-scale tea growers. The KTDA Holdings Board of Directors had instructed factories in East of Rift to pay at least Sh30 per kilogram and Sh26 for those in the West of Rift zone.

• Affected farmers are demanding full implementation of the January 2, 2026 directive to address financial losses.
• KTDA attributed the price reversion to low tea absorption and depressed prices in the 2024/2025 financial year, impacting factory cash flows.
• Tea reform activist, Mr. Joseph Rono, criticized the discrepant payments, questioning why farmers in West of Rift are paid less than their Eastern counterparts for the same produce.