Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri has raised concern over wide disparities in tea bonus payments, warning that farmers in Kisii and Nyamira counties are being unfairly treated compared to those in other regions.
Speaking in the Senate, Sen. Okenyuri revealed that while farmers in Mt. Kenya are receiving bonuses averaging Sh50 per kilo, their counterparts in Kisii and Nyamira are earning as little as Sh12 per kilo.
“This glaring disparity has caused deep frustration and triggered anger among farmers who feel shortchanged and discriminated against despite producing tea that is sold in the same international markets,” she said.
The Senator said the situation has already led to unrest, with some farmers reportedly destroying tea collection centres in protest. She added that the discrepancies have raised questions about the Kenya Tea Development Agency’s (KTDA) pricing and distribution systems, and whether smallholder farmers in certain regions are being sidelined.
“Mr. Speaker, Sir, the bonus discrepancies have left many farmers disillusioned, believing their sweat and toil is not being fairly rewarded. This is a matter of transparency and fairness,” Sen. Okenyuri emphasized.
She cautioned that if not addressed, inequities in bonus payments could destabilise the tea sector, which remains one of Kenya’s biggest foreign exchange earners and a key source of livelihood for millions of families.
The Senator urged the government, in collaboration with KTDA and other stakeholders, to urgently review the disparities and take measures to ensure fairness and restore confidence among farmers in Kisii, Nyamira, and other affected regions.
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