Tea factory leaders in Meru have accused the government and the Tea Board of Kenya of intimidating factories to withdraw a court challenge against the controversial 0.8 per cent tea export levy, vowing to pursue the case as farmers protest reduced bonus payments.
Baptista Muriki Kanyaru, chairman of Zone Seven Tea Factories and a director at Kiegoi Tea Factory, said Imenti, Kiegoi and Kinoro were among the few factories still pursuing the legal challenge after others allegedly pulled out under pressure.
Kanyaru said the factories would not abandon the case despite what he described as threats, arguing that the levy was hurting the competitiveness of Kenyan tea and eroding farmers’ earnings.
“The remaining factories pursuing the case are Imenti, Kiegoi and Kinoro. The rest withdrew after being cowed by government threats. We will not withdraw,” he said.
He accused Meru MPs and Senator Kathuri Murungi of failing tea farmers by allowing Parliament to approve the levy despite memorandums he said he had submitted opposing it.
His concerns were echoed by environmentalist and Igembe South MP aspirant Mithika Mzalendo, who said leaders should speak out as tea-growing households struggle with declining earnings.
“Our people must know the truth. They cannot continue suffering while their leaders remain silent about the challenges affecting their livelihoods,” Mzalendo said.
Kanyaru challenged the legislators to push for its removal, accusing some of them of now distancing themselves from a measure they had failed to oppose when it was before Parliament.
The dispute comes as tea farmers receive lower second payments for the 2025/26 financial year, with bonus rates varying widely across factories.
The Tea (Levy) Regulations, 2026, which took effect on May 1, introduced a 0.8 per cent charge on tea exports. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has maintained that the levy is payable by exporters and overseas buyers and is not a direct deduction from farmers’ payments.
Kanyaru, however, argued that the additional cost could affect the competitiveness of Kenyan tea in international markets, ultimately reducing the revenue available across the value chain.
Kanyaru said he had presented memorandums to Meru legislators, Senator Murungi and the Tea Board, warning that the levy could undermine the industry.
He accused the senator of recently criticising the charge despite having had an opportunity to oppose it during its passage through Parliament.
He challenged Murungi to introduce an amendment seeking its removal.
Kanyaru maintained that the factories would continue with the court case, insisting that the dispute should be resolved through the legal process rather than pressure on industry leaders.
