The Kenyan Tea Story:

From two leaves and a bud to many stories and a cup

A lecture by Wangu wa Majani

Wangu wa Majani

Founder and CEO, Maison Chai

Founder and Chair, Young Tea Growers

Co-Chair , Women in Tea Value Chain Association (East of the Rift Valley)

@wanguwamajani @maisonchailtd @drunkenlectures.nbo

#drunkenlectures #ValueInEverySipKE

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Drunken Lectures, Nairobi, July 2025

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What is tea?

Tea is a beverage prepared by infusing the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in hot water, making it the world's second most consumed drink after water. The finest teas are hand-plucked, typically selecting either "two leaves and a bud" or "one leaf and a bud" depending on the desired quality and variety. Unlike true tea, herbal infusions (properly called tisanes) are caffeine-free preparations made from various botanicals like flowers, herbs or spices, but never from Camellia sinensis leaves. While the term "tea" is often used colloquially for any hot infusion, only those derived from the tea plant qualify as genuine tea, with tisanes being appreciated instead for their distinctive flavours and therapeutic properties.

Types of tea

White tea (Includes Silver Needle and White Peony)

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Green Tea (Includes Matcha)

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Yellow Tea (Rare tea with a mild taste)

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Purple Tea (Reddish in hue, packed full of anthocyanins)

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Black Orthodox (Long fermented leaves)

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Black CTC (granules best for boiling)

White Tea

Kenyan white tea, crafted from the prized 4/36 cultivar, is a rare and luxurious specialty made from hand-plucked, downy buds that undergo a meticulous 10–12 day shade-withering process to develop their delicate floral and honeyed flavour. With 30,000 buds required per kilogram, its production is extraordinarily labour-intensive, resulting in a refined, silvery tea similar to China’s Silver Needle. Beyond its exquisite taste, Kenyan white tea offers notable health benefits: rich in antioxidants (polyphenols and catechins) to combat free radicals, naturally low in caffeine, and containing L-theanine for calm focus. Its amino acids and trichomes may support skin health and immunity, while its gentle processing preserves antimicrobial and metabolism-boosting properties. A true connoisseur’s tea, it embodies both artisan craftsmanship and wellness in every sip.

Green Tea

Kenyan green tea is a bright and lively specialty, crafted from tender leaves that are steamed or pan-fired immediately after harvesting to lock in freshness. This swift processing preserves the tea’s crisp, vegetal character and vibrant green hue, resulting in a cup with refreshing grassy and citrus undertones. Often handled with care in small batches, it delivers a smooth yet invigorating taste, free from harshness. Bursting with antioxidants, this tea aids digestion, metabolism and cellular health, while its harmonious blend of caffeine and L-theanine fosters gentle alertness. Kenyan green tea’s balanced profile both robust and refined showcases the dedication behind its production, making it a flavourful and functional choice for discerning drinkers.

Yellow Tea

Kenyan yellow tea is a rare, artisanal variety crafted through a unique "sealed yellowing" process that gently oxidizes the leaves, developing their golden hue and distinctive mellow, honeyed flavour with orchid notes. This meticulous method, more refined than green tea processing preserves digestive-aiding antioxidants while offering lower caffeine than green teas, creating a perfectly balanced cup. The tea's bioactive compounds support metabolism and skin health, making it both a luxury experience and functional brew. With its silky texture and complex yet smooth profile, Kenyan yellow tea represents the pinnacle of the country's innovative tea craftsmanship.

Oolong Tea

Kenyan oolong tea is a rare semi-oxidised (10-70%) specialty bridging green tea's freshness and black tea's depth. While traditional oolongs offer floral-woody notes and Taiwanese 'milk oolong' develops natural creamy flavours, Kenya's tea industry focuses on CTC production suited to its climate and local tastes for strong, milky brews. Limited small-scale experiments exist, but proper oolong production remains uncommon, making all varieties - especially specialised types like milk oolong - expensive imports rather than commercial products.

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Purple Tea

Kenyan purple tea is a remarkable variety made from a specially bred purple-leaf tea plant, developed by the Tea Research Institute of Kenya. Unlike regular teas, it naturally produces anthocyanins—the same antioxidants found in blueberries through selective breeding of Camellia sinensis, not grafting or genetic modification. Scientists discovered a rare purple-leaf mutation and cultivated it over years to enhance these beneficial compounds, giving the leaves their vibrant colour and health properties. The result is a tea with a mild, earthy flavour, half the caffeine of black tea, and potential benefits for heart health and inflammation, all from the plant’s own natural chemistry.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh is a unique aged tea from China that improves with time like wine, available in two types: raw (sun-dried, pressed into cakes, and aged naturally for years, developing from fresh to sweet) and ripe (quick-fermented in warm piles for weeks, yielding an immediate earthy, smooth flavour). Known for its distinct "forest floor" aroma and digestion-aiding properties, pu-erh becomes more valuable with age.

Black Tea (Orthodox)

Kenyan Black Orthodox Tea is a premium, artisanal product primarily sold to specialty tea markets in Europe, North America. Orthodox teas with their whole-leaf grades cater to discerning buyers seeking complex flavours. These labour-intensive teas, featuring honeyed malt or floral notes, command premium prices in luxury tea shops and specialty retailers, because they are labour intensive.

Black Tea (Crush Tear Curl)

Kenyan CTC tea ("Crush-Tear-Curl" - named for the mechanized process where leaves are crushed, torn, and curled into uniform pellets) is the world's top black tea export (FAO 2022, ITC 2023). These small, dense granules (grades like BP1/PF1) brew quickly into strong, brisk infusions, perfect for mass markets like the UK (builder's tea), Pakistan and Egypt. Kenya dominates global trade, supplying ~25% of black tea (World Bank 2021), as CTC's efficiency and bold flavour suit paper tea bags and milk teas better than delicate Orthodox leaves. It is the most popular tea drunk in Kenya because Kenyans typically drink tea boiled with milk and sugar, and CTC’s robust taste holds up better than delicate Orthodox teas.

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Masala Tea

Masala chai originated in India centuries ago, likely as an Ayurvedic herbal remedy combining spices like cardamom, ginger, and black pepper with tea leaves. The drink evolved regionally—Kashmir’s kahwa uses saffron and almonds, while Mumbai’s street-style cutting chai features bold ginger and cinnamon. Masala chai came to Kenya through Indian labourers during the British colonial era, who brought both tea-drinking culture and spice-blending traditions. Today, spiced tea with milk is wildly popular in Kenya because it perfectly suits local tastes: the strong, CTC-based brew stands up to milk and sugar, while warming spices like ginger and cardamom complement Kenya’s brisk tea flavor. Affordable, energizing, and deeply ingrained in daily life—from roadside stalls to homes—Kenyan masala chai is a cultural hybrid, blending Indian tradition with Kenya’s tea dominance.

Not All Tea Bags are Made Equal

Standard paper tea bags, offer affordable convenience but often contain plastic sealants that may release microplastics. Made from bleached or unbleached paper fibres, they typically hold tea dust ("fannings") rather than whole leaves, compromising flavour. While still popular in Kenyan households, many brands are now switching to plastic-free alternatives due to environmental concerns.

Pyramid tea bags, can provide an eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper bags. Sometimes madef from from plant-based materials such as cornstarch (PLA) or banana fibre, these plastic-free bags completely break down in compost, addressing microplastic concerns. While slightly more expensive, they allow better leaf expansion for improved flavour.

The history of tea in China

One famous legend says Chinese Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea by accident around 2737 BC. While boiling water outside, some tea leaves blew into his pot. He liked the taste and so tea was born! Other stories suggest people in China's Shang Dynasty (1500-1046 BC) first used tea as medicine.

The history of tea in Japan

Buddhist monks first introduced it from China in the 9th century, before Zen monk Eisai popularised matcha in the 12th century, establishing Japan's unique tea ceremony culture. Japan developed its tea traditions over centuries through cultural and spiritual exchange with China. Japan had already perfected its tea culture for over 700 years before India's first tea bushes were planted. Japanese teas like matcha and sencha remain deeply tied to tradition.

The history of tea in India

Singpho tribes of Assam have been wild harvesting Camellia sinensis and chewing on the leaves for as long as the Chinese have been steeping them in hot water. In addition to the discovery of Camelia Sinensis in Assam forests, during British colonial rule in the early 19th century, the British established commercial plantations in Assam (1830s) and Darjeeling (1850s). India's tea industry began as a colonial commercial venture.

The history of tea in Kenya

Williamson Tea, founded in India (1869), expanded to Kenya in 1903 by acquiring Kericho estates – not 1869 as sometimes cited (Kenya National Archives, 1903 records). This followed the Caine brothers’ pioneering 1903 tea trials in Limuru. James Finlay & Co. entered later (1925) (now Brown’s), establishing vast plantations to supplement the supply coming from India and China. Post-independence reforms birthed KTDA (1964) to support smallholders. Sources: Kenya Archives, Trench (1964), KTDA (1965)

Terroir

Terroir (/tɛrˈwɑːr/; French: [tɛʁwaʁ]; from terre, lit. 'lands') is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat.

KTDA is a private company owned by about 600,000 smallholder tea farmers spread across 16 tea growing counties in Kenya. The farmers are shareholders to 54 tea companies that own KTDA (H) and its 9 subsidiary companies.

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Some of the 54 tea factory companies have expanded by setting up satellite factories in their neighborhoods to accommodate the extra leaf. The satellite factories are 17, adding up to 71 the total number of tea factories owned by smallholder tea farmers.

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The nine subsidiary companies owned by KTDA (H) add value to the tea value chain. These companies include Chai Trading Company Limited, KTDA (Management Services), Majani Insurance Brokers, Kenya Tea Packers Limited, Greenland Fedha Limited, KTDA Foundation, Tea Machinery and Engineering Company Ltd, KTDA Power Company Limited.

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Nyayo Tea Zones and KTDA

After independence, Kenya's smallholder tea growers, flourished under KTDA, growing from subsistence farmers to produce 65% of the national output. Launched in 1988, Kenya's 32 Nyayo Tea Zones were established as forest buffer plantations. However, audits later revealed forest encroachment and mismanagement of conservation funds, prompting KTDA to withdraw from most zones by 2015. Today, only 7 zones still supply KTDA factories, underscoring the challenges of balancing agricultural development with environmental protection.

Multinational Tea Estates in Kenya

In modern-day Kenya, tea estates remain vital to the economy, employing thousands and driving exports, yet their focus on mass production reinforces Kenya’s tea being treated as a cheap commodity rather than a premium product. While the sector supports rural development, much of its output is sold in bulk at low prices, often blended anonymously into global markets.

Commodification vs. Craft

While India (Darjeeling), China (Pu'er), and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) market terroir-driven 'artisanal' teas at premium prices, Kenya the world's largest black tea exporter remains trapped in a colonial commodity cycle. Multinationals (Browns/Williamson’s) designed Kenya's industry for high-volume CTC (Crush-Tear-Curl) production, optimising for mass-market tea bags over orthodox whole-leaf craftsmanship. Smallholders (70% of output) lack infrastructure to process speciality grades, while EU/Asian buyers repackage Kenyan leaves as 'premium' blends - a £12bn global value chain where Kenya captures just 8% (Fairtrade, 2023).

How British Supermarkets Perpetuate

Kenya's Tea Inequality

UK supermarkets sustain Kenya's 'cheap tea' trap through three key practices: 1) Bulk purchasing of CTC grades at near-auction prices (Tesco pays £1.35/kg vs. retail £98/kg), 2) Excluding producer names/regions on packaging (unlike Indian/Sri Lankan single-estate listings), and 3) Rejecting smallholder speciality teas for lacking 'brand recognition' (Sainsbury's 2022 supplier survey). This maintains colonial-era power structures - while M&S charges £4.50 for 'Kenyan Reserve' bags, just 12p reaches farmers (Fairtrade Foundation, 2023).

Wholefoods, Kings Road, London, July 2025

Tea vs. Coffee vs. Cocoa (2024)

(Key Metrics Comparison)

Global Beverage Crops: Tea vs. Coffee vs. Cocoa (2024)(Key Metrics Comparison)

Africa Beverage Crops: Tea vs. Coffee vs. Cocoa (2024)(Key Metrics Comparison)

Sources: Global Sources (Single-Line Format) Tea: ITC (2024), FAO STAT (2023), World Bank Trade Coffee: ICO (2024), USDA (2024), Rainforest Alliance Cocoa: WCF (2024), ICCO Q2 Bulletin, Fairtrade Africa-Specific Sources Tea: EATTA Auctions, Kenya Tea Directorate (2023) Coffee: AFCA, Ethiopia Coffee Authority, UCDA Cocoa: Ivory Coast Conseil (2024), Ghana COCOBOD Labour/Climate: ILO (2023), Solidaridad, FAO Climate Reports

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Comparative analysis of price of tea per KG

and labour costs

Sources: ITC 2024 Forecast, FAO Climate Reports, World Bank Trade Analysis

Why is Kenya’s tea projected to suffer in 2025?

Vietnam’s costs are 50% lower than Kenya’s, driven by:

• Higher mechanisation (60% vs. Kenya’s 20%)
• Lower wages ($3/day vs. Kenya’s $5/day)
• State subsidies for fertiliser

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Source: Data: ITC 2024, Kenya Tea Board, Vietnam Tea Association

Kenya’s Tea Sector (wages for pickers)

Source: Kenya Ministry of Labour (2024), Fairtrade Africa

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20% of World’s Tea, 2% of Its Value

Smallholder farmers face significant economic challenges, earning between 23 and 25kes per kilogram of produce. Women carry out 70% of the labour on small farms yet own less than 5% of the land, particularly in West of the Rift Valley (KTDA Gender Report, 2022), exposing deep inequalities in both income and land rights. Tea pluckers are paid between 8 and 15kes per kg. These systemic issues perpetuate poverty and entrenched gender disparities within agricultural communities.

WITEVA members West of Rift Valley (Nandi) recieving reuseable sanitary towels

Woman picking tea on Maison Chai farms, Nyeri

Women at the Wheel: Driving Equitable Change in Tea’s Crossroads Moment

WITEVA Co-Chairs and member at Fairtrade Africa

WITEVA Co-Chairs and members East of Rift Valley

WITEVA members West of Rift Valley (Kisii) recieving reuseable sanitary towels

The Women in Tea Value Chain Association is redefining leadership in Kenya’s tea sector through targeted, region-specific empowerment. West of the Rift, we support women estate workers confronting systemic barriers by providing them with sanitation training. East of the Rift, our focus shifts to entrepreneurial development – lobbying for women’s representation in male-dominated roles, from field supervision to factory boards, while championing safer harvesting practices. With over 1,000 women trained through our programmes, we’re proving that gender equity isn’t just morally imperative, but commercially vital for an industry at a crossroads. When women lead, entire supply chains, from plucker to boardroom, all of us reap the benefits.

Case Study: Where’s our Darjeeling moment?

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During a recent visit to London, I surveyed several high-end retailers to evaluate the presence of Kenyan tea. Shockingly, only one pure Kenyan option was available, while two others were listed as out of stock indefinitely. In stark contrast, shelves were well-stocked with premium Chinese and Indian teas including favourites like Milk Oolong, Lapsang Souchong, and Russian Caravan. This disparity raises a critical question: Why does Kenya, one of the world’s largest tea producers, lack visibility in luxury markets, while competitors like India (with its celebrated Darjeeling brand) command prestige and higher margins?

A visit to high-end stores in London

(Liberty, Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, Whittard’s of Chelsea)

Harrods (Knightsbridge), Whittards of Chelsea, Fortnum and Mason, Ibadah London stocked at Liberty

From Seed to Legacy:

How Young Farmers Are Reshaping Tea

The Young Tea Growers was founded to combat youth marginalisation in Kenya’s tea sector, now representing over 130 farmers supplying KTDA factories, multinationals and independent factories while pioneering climate-smart practices. Through field visits to Muranga and Kericho County, spending time at iconic estates such as Kitumbe (Browns) and Toror combined with virtual masterclasses on water-efficient irrigation and advice on best farming practices, these young growers are blending traditional knowledge with sustainable innovation.

YTG members at Tea Research Institute Kericho

YTG members at Kitumbe Tea Factory managed by Browns,

and Factory Unit Manager Dorothy Mukio

YTG members at Makomboki Tea Factory, Muranga County

The Future of Kenyan Tea Starts With You

Become an Ambassador

• Use #ValueInEverySipKE to amplify Kenyan tea stories.
• Use your networks to create new market opportunities.
• Visit your local tea factory and encourage them to become Fairtrade certified!

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Join the Movement

Participate in our Mombasa Roundtable in October 2025

between pluckers, growers, brokers and other stakeholders

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Invest in Transformation

Support youth and women-led tea enterprises

Champion fair pricing and sustainable practices

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Together, we will:

• Elevate Kenyan tea to luxury status worldwide

• Ensure farmers receive their fair share

• Build a legacy for future generations

Let's make every cup tell Kenya's story.

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#ValueInEverySipKE