Kenya Courts Chinese Investors to Build Domestic Tea Processing
Officials at a Nairobi forum invited Chinese firms to process and pack tea in Kenya, part of a push up the value chain.
Kenya is inviting Chinese firms to invest in domestic tea processing and packaging, officials said at a China-Africa forum in Nairobi that opened June 9.
The appeal is part of a stated effort to move Kenya, the world's largest exporter of black tea, away from shipping raw bulk leaf and toward capturing more of the value chain at home as a processor, packager, and manufacturer.
The 2026 China-Africa Agri-Tech and Industrial Cooperation Forum brought together more than 100 policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders from China and Africa to discuss agricultural technology, trade, and investment cooperation, according to Xinhua, China's state news agency.
"We are encouraging more Chinese investors to apply for export licences and invest in Kenya," said Willy Mutai, chief executive of the Tea Board of Kenya, the state industry regulator. He spoke on behalf of Agriculture Principal Secretary Kiprono Rono.
Kenya is "open for any investor to buy, process and export tea," Mutai said. He noted that "most packaging materials currently come from China, India and Sri Lanka," which he described as an opening for local packaging-materials manufacturing.
Four Chinese companies are currently licensed to pack and export tea directly from Kenya, according to the Tea Board of Kenya. Three companies already use Chinese tea-processing technology tuned to Chinese consumer preferences, Mutai said.
To lower costs for local factories, the government has eliminated import duties on tea packaging materials. Kenya and China are also exploring a digital tea-trading platform to connect producers and buyers directly.
Guo Haiyan, China's Ambassador to Kenya, described China's market-access measures as a "golden opportunity" for African agricultural exporters.
The investment drive builds on a plan announced in September 2025, when President William Ruto said China had lifted tariffs on Kenyan tea, coffee, and other agricultural products. Ruto set a goal of roughly tripling Kenya's annual tea export earnings to more than $2 billion by 2027, from about $1.4 billion, by shifting toward processed and premium orthodox tea.
The Nairobi forum also framed the push as a way to diversify Kenya's export markets and reduce reliance on its four traditional buyers: Pakistan, Egypt, the United Kingdom, and Sudan.
Sources: Kenya Lures Chinese Investors to Build Tea Processing Sector in the Country; Kenya courts Chinese investors to build local tea processing industry; China-Africa agri-tech forum opens in Kenya to boost agricultural cooperation, Xinhua; Kenya unveils $2bn tea plan as China opens its market with zero tariff; Bloomberg, Kenya Expands Orthodox Tea Production to Cut Reliance on CTC Black Tea.