The Kapsara Tea Factory in Trans Nzoia County is set to undergo a Sh44.6 million modernisation programme after the national government delivered a grant to upgrade the facility and improve tea processing efficiency.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the grant would finance the installation of a modern withering plant to replace ageing equipment, reduce production costs and improve efficiency.
“The government is committed to supporting this factory to upgrade its equipment to modern standards that reduce production costs,” he said during a tour of the facility.
Kagwe urged farmers to improve the quality of green leaf delivered to the factory, warning that modern machinery would have limited impact if poor-quality tea continued to be supplied.
“We need two leaves and a bud. If we want to produce high-quality tea and get better prices, we must start with the quality of the leaf,” Kagwe said.
Kagwe said the tea sector supports about 6.5 million people directly and indirectly and remains a major source of foreign exchange.
He said the government had allocated Sh7.1 billion for tea factory modernisation and other interventions in the sector.
Kagwe also called for Kenya to diversify its tea export markets to reduce dependence on a few destinations.
“We cannot continue depending on only a few markets. We must take Kenyan tea to more countries,” he said.
He encouraged Kapsara to pursue value addition and direct marketing to increase farmers’ returns.
“You can add value to your tea, brand it and market it directly. You do not necessarily have to take everything through Nairobi,” he said.
Trans Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang welcomed the investment in the factory, saying it would boost farmers’ returns.
“Today we have come to Kapsara Tea Factory, and they are putting a modern machine here,” Chesang said.
Trans Nzoia County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture Phanice Khatundi said tea remains an important crop in the county.
“The county has about five million tea bushes and produces between eight and 10 million kilograms of green tea leaves,” Khatundi said.
She said about 1,190 acres were under tea production in Trans Nzoia.
Tea Board of Kenya Chief Executive Officer Willy Mutai said investment in value addition would strengthen Kapsara’s processing and marketing capacity.
The upgrade is expected to reduce processing costs, improve tea quality and strengthen returns to smallholder tea farmers.
