The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Mutahi Kagwe, today officially unveiled the Orthodox Tea Auction at the Mombasa Tea Trade Centre.
Speaking during the launch, the CS remarked: “Today, as we launch the auction of Orthodox teas, we are not just selling tea; we are making history.”
He noted that Orthodox teas would open premium markets for farmers. He further emphasized Kenya’s new role in global tea trade:
“Kenya is no longer just a CTC powerhouse—we are now a serious and competitive player in the global Orthodox market.”
Present were Tea Board of Kenya Chairman Ndung’u Gathinji, CEO Willy Mutai, East African Tea Trade Association Chairman Hussein Abdi, KTDA Holdings Limited Chairman Mr. Chege Kirundi, CEO Wilson Muthaura, AFA Kenya DG Dr. Bruno Linyiru alongside tea producers, brokers, buyers, and exporters.
Mutahi also stressed the importance of modernization and transparency in the auction:
“The Mombasa Tea Auction is going online internationally. This will allow buyers from across the world to participate in real time, enhance price discovery, reduce cartels, and firmly position Kenya as a modern, efficient tea-trading hub.”
As part of the event, the CS toured the Tea Board of Kenya office in Mombasa, where he inspected the Tea Quality Assurance Laboratory established to provide real-time quality advisory, product testing, and food-safety certification.
This is central to TBK’s mandate to safeguard quality and strengthen the competitiveness of Kenya tea in global markets.
This milestone is not just a win for farmers, traders, and exporters, but a bold step in diversifying Kenya’s tea industry and securing a brighter future for all stakeholders.
