Kenya has inaugurated its first specialty orthodox tea auction in Mombasa, signalling a strategic step towards diversifying its agricultural exports and strengthening its position in evolving global markets.
Speaking at the launch, Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, emphasised that the expansion of orthodox tea production is intended to capture shifting consumer preferences worldwide. According to Kagwe, the country aims to grow its installed orthodox processing no capacity from 15 million kilogrammes in 2024 to 200 million kilogrammes by 2030.
To support this trajectory, the government has licensed 22 orthodox manufacturers and intends to expand that number to 42 by 2027. A tea quality assurance laboratory has also been established in Mombasa to provide real-time testing, certification, and advisory services, reinforcing the country’s commitment to quality standards and food safety.
The Mombasa Tea Auction, long recognised as the world’s largest black tea auction by volume, is now extending its reach online to enhance transparency, improve farmer returns, and maintain global competitiveness. At the inaugural orthodox tea auction, 2,925 packages – equivalent to 91,798 kilogrammes – were successfully traded.
Kenya produced 7.51 million kilogrammes of orthodox tea in 2024, with five million kilogrammes destined for export markets. The government asserts that smallholder and commercial farmers have the capacity to respond to the growing global appetite for specialty teas.
The development is significant within the broader African agricultural landscape, where states are seeking to move beyond raw commodity exports towards higher-value production that aligns with changing international demand. While orthodox teas have historically been associated with markets in Asia and parts of Europe, African producers are positioning themselves to claim a greater share of this segment.
By situating the orthodox tea auction within Mombasa, a port city that already serves as a key node in African and international trade, Kenya is positioning itself as both a producer and a marketplace for specialty teas. This has potential spillover effects for regional economies and signals how African nations are exploring value diversification within traditional export sectors.
For Kenya, which remains the world’s largest exporter of black tea, the entry into orthodox tea markets is not a departure but an expansion, reflecting both resilience and adaptability within a volatile global trading environment.
