Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has promised to bring an end to tea hawking, a malpractice that costs the tea sector billions of shillings in revenue each year.
Speaking before the Senate, CS Kagwe announced that the government would take action against individuals engaged in tea hawking by ensuring the implementation of the necessary legislation and enforcing the law.
“Effective this week, or effective today, the hawking of tea across the country, Mr Speaker, will be stopped so that farmers can deliver their tea directly and to ensure that quality standards are met. It is our intention to curb tea hawking malpractices, which lead to the processing of low-quality tea leaves. This will be achieved by enforcing the Tea Registration and Licences Regulations, 2025,” Kagwe stated.
CS Mutahi Kagwe promises to bring an end to tea hawking. Photo: Courtesy.
According to Kagwe, the Tea Board of Kenya would be at the forefront of enforcing the ban, particularly in relation to independent tea processors.
“We have also instructed the Tea Board to take effective action to control this issue and to ensure that independent processors buy from registered farmers so that the hawking business can be brought to an end,” Kagwe affirmed.
Tea hawking is the practice of independent tea processors and farmers buying green tea leaves directly from farmers, bypassing the established tea factory system.
As per the Tea Act, registered farmers should deliver their tea leaves to their assigned factories.
Tea hawking disrupts the system and supply chain, adversely affecting the quality of tea in the market.
