Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba expressed deep frustration after President William Ruto’s State of the Nation Address, saying she nearly walked out when he touted a surge in tea export earnings.
Ruto claimed that Kenyan tea export revenues had jumped from KSh 138 billion in 2022 to KSh 215 billion in 2024, a 56 percent increase.
Wamuchomba sharply countered his narrative, pointing to the harsh reality of farmers in Kisii County, where the last tea bonus paid was as low as KSh 6 per kilo of green leaf.
Her anger reflects growing discontent among small-scale tea growers, especially in the West of Rift Valley, who argue that export earnings don’t translate into fair returns at the farm level.TO READ MORE, TAP HERE.