President William Ruto’s claim that small-scale tea growers earn an average of Sh56 per kilogramme has sparked protests and judicial review proceedings in the High Court. Agricultural experts and farmers dispute the figure, citing actual payments between Sh26 and Sh43 per kilogramme.
While speaking at a town hall session during the ongoing Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit in Nairobi, President William Ruto stated that agricultural overhauls in the tea sector had elevated national grower returns to an average of Sh56 per kilogramme of green leaf. Three years ago, the prices were Sh34 per kilogramme, but the average prices now is Sh56,
Dr Ruto said, with the figures confirmed by Tea Board of Kenya Chief Executive Officer Willy Mutai.
That pronouncement quickly collided with the reality on factory floors and bank statements in Kenya’s tea-growing regions. Protests broke out in Nandi, Kericho, Bomet, and Nakuru counties, where farmers expressed anger over low bonus payments ranging from Sh12.50 to Sh22 per kilogramme. Those figures stand in stark contrast to the Sh50 paid by factories in the larger Mt Kenya region.
Farmers and Experts Dispute Presidential Figures
Expressing concern that the President might face embarrassment in front of agriculturalists, Joseph Rono—an agricultural expert and spokesperson for the Tea Small Scale Farmers Association—urged that the head of state receive an accurate briefing on conditions within the tea sector. The President might have meant well, depending on the brief that he has. But to tell farmers they are paid Sh56 on average when the actual payment is Sh26 per kilogramme and an average of Sh17 on second payment (bonus), bringing the total average to between Sh41 and Sh43 per kilogramme, is completely off the mark,
Mr Rono said. He questioned where the additional Sh13 per kilogramme cited by the President went, noting that the money never hits growers’ bank accounts or payment slips.
Alexander Rono, who supplies his produce to Tirgaga Tea Factory in Bomet County, said farmers were shocked by the public statement. Previously, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) raised the green leaf rate to Sh26 per kilogramme from Sh23 in April, maintaining that figure across a two-year period. It is totally misleading to claim the prices have risen to Sh56 when the facts contradict his statement,
Mr Rono said.
The sector encompasses 700,000 small-scale growers. A spot check showed that most factories in the West of Rift pay between Sh22 and Sh26 per kilogramme of fresh leaf, while factories in the East of Rift pay an average of Sh30 per kilogramme. Industry stakeholders attribute the price gap to differences in plucking standards, noting that western farmers are accused of failing to adhere to the recommended two leaves and a bud standard, whereas growers in the East of Rift have embraced it.
High Court Challenge and Protests Over Payment Disparities
The widening financial disparities have triggered legal action. The High Court in Nairobi granted small-scale tea growers in Nyamira and Kisii counties permission to initiate judicial review proceedings regarding the 2025/2026 second tea payment, commonly known as the bonus. Justice Nabil Orina directed the farmers, represented by I.N. Nyaribo & Company Advocates, to proceed with their challenge against the Tea Board of Kenya and other parties over alleged discrimination, irregular financial calculations, and violations of the Tea Act, 2021.
Protesting growers are contesting a reported 470 per cent disparity in bonus payments between blocks. Chebut and Kaptumo tea factories offer a bonus of Sh12.50 per kilogramme of green leaf, while Rukuriri tea factory pays Sh50.
Growers are demanding greater accountability from factory directors regarding management and produce returns, noting that the widening gap between production costs and returns threatens their livelihoods in one of Kenya’s leading foreign exchange-earning sectors.
