Ruto pledges Sh3.7bn to modernise tea factories so Gusii and West Rift farmers earn fairer bonuses
Some growers have been paid bonuses as low as Sh11 a kilo, against up to Sh60 east of the Rift. Average tea prices have risen from Sh36 to Sh57.
Nyamira — President William Ruto has announced Sh3.7 billion to modernise tea factories in Gusii and the West Rift, where farmers have been paid much lower bonuses than growers in the East Rift.
Speaking at Nyamaiya grounds in Nyamira County, Ruto said the government had already released Sh1.2 billion to tea factories this year and would allocate a further Sh2.5 billion in the next financial year.
A gap between regions
Gusii leaders had told the President that farmers in the region felt discriminated against. Some growers in Gusii and the West Rift have received bonuses of as little as Sh11 per kilogramme, while farmers in the East Rift, which includes Mt Kenya, have received up to Sh60, the Nation reported.
"Many factories in the West Rift have old, dilapidated infrastructure. These factories need to support farmers, modernise and increase their productivity," Ruto said. The extra money, he said, would help every factory in the West Rift reach productivity levels comparable to the East Rift "so that bonuses are equitable between the two regions."
Better prices overall
Ruto said the sector had turned a corner. "Tea leaves had been delayed at the Mombasa auction for more than three years, but that is now a thing of the past. The average tea price was Sh36, but it is now Sh57," he said.
Source: Nation, November 2026.
