Ruto’s Sh56 claim, court battle and fresh protests: Inside Kenya’s tea bonus storm
Kenyan President William Ruto is facing backlash from tea farmers after claiming average earnings of Sh56 per kilogramme, a figure farmers and experts argue is significantly inflated. The dispute has led to legal challenges and protests as growers demand transparency regarding bonus payments.
Why it matters
The discrepancy highlights tensions between government agricultural policy and the economic reality for small-scale farmers in Kenya's vital tea sector.
President William Ruto’s claim that small-scale tea growers were earning an average of Sh56 per kilogramme of green leaf supplied to factories has sparked a storm in the sector, with farmers saying he was completely off the mark.
This comes as the High Court in Nairobi gave small-scale tea growers in Nyamira and Kisii counties the go-ahead to initiate judicial review proceedings over the 2025/2026 second tea payment, popularly known as the bonus, citing alleged discrimination, irregular financial calculations and violations of the Tea Act, 2021.
At the same time, tea growers in Nandi, Kericho, Bomet and Nakuru counties protested low bonus payments ranging from Sh12.50 to Sh22 per kilogramme, compared with Sh50 paid by factories in the larger Mt Kenya region.
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