Tea farmers assured Ketepa won’t relocate

By Peter Mutai

The Kenya Tea Packers (Ketepa) has allayed fears among small-scale tea farmers from the South Rift it plans to relocate to Nairobi.

The company said their tea packing factory and the headquarters would remain in Kericho.

"The management has not talked on the issue of relocating Ketepa from Kericho to Nairobi as claimed by leaders from the region but instead we are looking on ways of expand and modernise it to match the changing technology so as to remain competitive," said Managing Director Timothy Chege.

He said only its commercial department and a few staff would be moved to Nairobi where the bulk of its tea is consumed.

Relocation row

He was speaking at the factory on Monday after holding consultative meeting with Energy Assistant Minister Charles Keter and Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat.

About 30 councillors from the region also attended the meeting.

Two weeks ago, Roads Minister Franklin Bett, councillors and farmers from the South Rift raised the red flag, claiming there were plans to relocate the factory and its head office.

They claimed it was a deliberate move by some individuals to take over the tea industry from farmers.

Bett accused those behind the alleged plan, saying they were using the 2007 post-election violence as the main reason to move the company.

However, Agriculture Minister William Ruto said at the weekend the company would not be relocated.

"Ketepa is there to stay and no one will move it from Kericho to Nairobi. We have plans to expand it to produce ice tea and green tea to enable the farmers add value to their tea," he said.

Chege confirmed the expansion plans. "The export market for tea bags is growing in the world and we are currently supplying our products to the Middle East region including Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Sudan and Tanzania," he said.

Ketepa is 83 per cent owned by 450,000 small-scale tea farmers across the country through the Kenya Tea Development Agency and enjoys 75 per cent of local tea market share.