President William Ruto has underscored the need for the Kenya tea to be packaged and branded to compete with other brands in the international markets.
Ruto expressed displeasure that Kenya’s premier tea produce was being exported while packaged in bags, instead of being packaged diligently.
Speaking when he met the tea factory directors at the State House, the head of state challenged the factory chairperson to ensure within the shortest time possible the product be packed well to attract the international market.
“Ninety six percent of our tea is sold and exported while packed in sacks, and the situation is expected to change between three and five years and export 60 percent of our tea through value addition,” said Ruto.
He recounted how Kenya’s being the third largest tea producer in the world, and Kenya products are not branded. “Our teas are sold in all manner of brands as we are serving other people’s interests,’ said Ruto.
Last year, in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, he recounted how he came face to face with investors selling English tea and confessed 50 percent of their tea comes from Kenya. “The investors have agreed to partner with Kenya on developing a Kenyan brand,” said Ruto.
The directors led by KTDA Holding Chairman Enos Njeru and Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe were advised by President Ruto to develop common user facilities in the tea sector for the purpose of producing specialty teas.
In matters pertaining to the much-awaited directorship elections, Ruto asked the contestants to be prepared to conduct their campaigns addressing the growers’ concerns.
“The election will be conducted as agreed by the parties and farmers should go for the best persons with capacity, integrity and those who cannot be compromised,” said the head of state. He further asked the Chief Justice Martha Koome to appoint a Tea Tribunal that would handle disputes emerging in the Sh200 billion sector.
” The tribunal once in place will resolve the disputes in the shortest time,” said the President. In matters pertaining to tree planting, he said the Ministry of Environment and Kenya Forest Service (KFS) are aware of the proposal that the factories be allocated chunks of land within the forests for tree planting.
“In 90 days, we shall assemble and look into the proposal on whether factories should be allowed to plant trees, a project that will help the factories as well as the government,” said Ruto.