Agriculture CS Kagwe pushes for law to ban export of raw produce

Speaking during the International Tea Day celebrations at Momul Tea Factory in Kericho on Thursday, CS Kagwe challenged Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Parliament to spearhead laws compelling exporters to process commodities locally before shipping them abroad.

“We must value add. Aaron Cheruiyot, help us make laws that all products must be value-added before they leave the country,” CS Kagwe said.

The CS argued that exporting raw produce continues to deny Kenya employment opportunities while enriching foreign industries that process Kenyan commodities abroad.

“This will create jobs and stop our youths from begging money from politicians,” he added.

The CS maintained that the government under President William Ruto remains committed to transforming agriculture into a modern, youth-driven and export-oriented sector capable of boosting farmer earnings and strengthening Kenya’s economy.

He insisted that Kenya must shift from bulk tea exports to higher-value products such as orthodox teas, green tea, purple tea, herbal blends, branded tea bags and speciality consumer packs targeting premium global markets.

"We are pursuing deliberate strategies to diversify markets by expanding Kenya tea presence in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America so as to reduce dependence on a few traditional markets," he said.

He said the future of Kenya’s tea industry lies in innovation, branding and diversification rather than continued overreliance on black CTC tea exports.

The CS also defended the Tea Levy Regulations 2026, maintaining that the levy is intended to strengthen the tea industry through funding of marketing, branding, research and value addition programmes.

While acknowledging resistance from some stakeholders, CS Kagwe warned factory directors against using court battles to frustrate reforms.

“On tea levy we are open to keep engaging stakeholders and don’t use litigation as a bargaining power,” he said.

"The levy is being charged at the point of export and factory directors should not waste millions of tea farmers' funds in unnecessary litigations on matters which they already litigated and consented to in April 2024." 

He accused some factory officials of wasting farmers’ money in endless legal disputes despite earlier consultations and agreements on the levy framework.

CS Kagwe further highlighted governance failures within some tea factories, warning that the government would no longer tolerate reckless borrowing and alleged misuse of farmers’ funds.

“Debt write-offs cannot continue yet some factory leaders are borrowing and stealing,” he said.

He added that loans acquired in the name of farmers should benefit all growers rather than a few influential individuals making unilateral decisions.

The CS was joined by Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Kiprono Ronoh, Senator Cheruiyot, KTDA Chair and board members, TBK chair and CEO, among other key stakeholders.