Land Invasions Threaten Kenya’s Tea Industry: KTGA Raises Alarm Over Criminal Activities In Nandi And Kericho Counties
Kenya Tea Growers Association (KTGA) Vice Chairperson Kenneth Odire (left) flanked by Eastern Produce Kenya Director Leah Kibii Chirchir (second left), KTGA Chief Executive Officer Linda Oluoch (centre) KTGA Chairman Mr Silas Njibwakale (second right) and Eastern Produce Kenya Chairperson Mr Christopher Flowers, (right) confer at a media conference where they jointly sounded the alarm over a series of alarming land invasions and criminal activities targeting large-scale tea producer estates.
By John Kariuki
The Kenya Tea Growers Association (KTGA) has issued a stark warning over escalating land invasions and criminal activities targeting large-scale tea estates, calling for immediate government intervention to curb the crisis.
Speaking during an international media conference at a Nairobi hotel on January 20, KTGA Chairman Mr. Silas Njibwakale highlighted the dire situation at Sitoi Tea Estate in Nandi County, owned by Eastern Produce Kenya Limited (EPK). He equated the ongoing illegal land invasions to Zimbabwe’s land crises, citing rampant plucking of tea crops and the unlawful occupation of vital estate infrastructure, including the Sitoi Airstrip.
Since August 2024, the invaders at Sitoi Estate have caused losses exceeding Kshs 30 million monthly by harvesting tea illegally. The KTGA expressed deep concern over the tepid response from security agencies and the national government, which have failed to enforce court orders or take meaningful action to halt the encroachments. Njibwakale warned that these criminal activities, if left unchecked, could have severe implications for local security, the rule of law, and investment prospects in the region.
He called on President William Ruto and security agencies to intervene urgently, emphasizing that failure to act would jeopardize both tax revenues and foreign exchange earnings at a time when the government is seeking to bolster its fiscal position. Njibwakale further noted the attempted raid by armed individuals on Browns East Africa’s Sambret Estate in Kericho County as another alarming incident underscoring the gravity of the issue.
The KTGA chairman accused organized criminal gangs, allegedly enjoying political backing, of establishing control over key zones of EPK’s Sitoi Estate, crippling operations and endangering lives and property.
Eastern Produce Kenya Board Chairperson Mr. Chris Flowers highlighted the estate’s significant economic contributions, noting that EPK is the second-largest tea seller at the Mombasa Auction and supports over 14,000 smallholder farmers in Nandi County. In 2024 alone, EPK paid Kshs 3.75 billion to smallholder farmers and employs over 8,000 people during peak operations, with an annual wage bill exceeding Kshs 1.4 billion. The company is also a vital pillar of the local economy, injecting more than Kshs 2 billion annually through community investments and procurement opportunities.
Tea and coffee remain critical economic drivers in Kenya, accounting for 23 percent of the country’s total exports and supporting over five million livelihoods, including 650,000 farmers. The KTGA has called on the government to act decisively to safeguard this vital industry.
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