Farmers want KTDA system scrapped
Rift Valley
By
Nikko Tanui
| Nov 22, 2025
Tea farmers in the West of the Rift Valley are demanding the scrapping of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) factory classification system, saying it is biased and partly to blame for declining bonuses.
Led by Momul chairman Isaiah Langat and Tegat chairman Japhet Chepkwony, they told the National Assembly Committee on Agriculture that the grading framework unfairly places western factories in lower categories, disadvantaging them at the Mombasa Tea Auction.
Langat urged KTDA to abolish the system, reinstate the reserve price and restore Rainforest Alliance certification, arguing that recent policy shifts have weakened market competitiveness.
Chepkwony backed calls for a forensic audit of KTDA Holdings but stressed that individual factories should be treated separately.
Other stakeholders urged tax relief on machinery and action on high electricity costs.
READ MORE
Government tightens oversight on Saccos to safeguard members' deposits
KRA targets 5 million tax filers with WhatsApp option
Apple at 50: eight technology leaps that changed our world
Kenya's push to maximise Sh95 billion circular economy
Interest income, foreign exchange trade: Where banks cut earnings in 2025
Domestic workers push for rights as Kenya eyes key labour reforms
Britam profit jumps 10pc to Sh5.5b despite rise in claims
What is the future of trade unions in the current world?
PS lauds Safaricom for advancing AI to boost job creation, spur digitisation
CAK raids Foam Mattress firms in probe into anti-competitive practices