Sudan Envoy Signals Talks to Restore Kenyan Tea Trade
Sudan's ambassador in Nairobi said Khartoum will pursue talks on restoring trade, with 3.44 million kilograms of Kenyan tea still stranded in Mombasa.
Follows up on Kenyan Tea Losses Mount as Sudan Import Ban Persists
Sudan's ambassador to Kenya said Khartoum is committed to pursuing talks on restoring trade, the first reported movement toward reopening a tea market shut since March 2025.
Ambassador Kamal Jabara Gubara received a delegation led by Kalonzo Musyoka, leader of Kenya's Wiper Party and a former vice president of Kenya, at the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Nairobi on Aug. 6. The delegation had come to appeal for the resumption of Kenyan tea exports. Gubara said Khartoum would pursue discussions to restore bilateral trade and would brief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan's military ruler, on the outcome of the talks.
It is the first reported sign of diplomatic movement since Sudan's Ministry of Trade and Supply suspended imports of Kenyan tea on March 11, 2025, over Kenya's perceived support for the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group that has fought Sudan's army since 2023.
More than 3.44 million kilograms of tea (about 3,800 US tons), worth over Ksh1.339 billion (about $10.3 million), is sitting in warehouses in Mombasa, specially blended and packaged for Sudanese buyers. That compares with the more than 1.7 million kilograms reported stranded in July.
Tea cut to one buyer's specification is expensive to sell elsewhere. Redirecting it requires repackaging, which adds cost and lowers the price paid to farmers.
"These teas cannot easily be redirected to other markets, leading to substantial losses for exporters, depressing auction prices, and ultimately reducing the earnings of Kenyan tea farmers," Musyoka said.
Sudan bought about 35 million kilograms of Kenyan black tea a year before the ban, worth approximately $69 million. When the suspension took effect, tea worth more than $24 million was already in transit or awaiting shipment, including 207 forty-foot containers stranded at the Port of Mombasa.
The suspension remains in force. The EastAfrican reported that the talks have raised hopes exports could resume within weeks, though Sudan's government has not confirmed a date.
Sources: The Star, Kalonzo pleads with Sudan to lift ban on Kenyan tea (Aug. 6, 2026); The EastAfrican, Sudan 'willing' to reopen tea market for Kenya; Channel Africa, Kenyan opposition leader appeals to Sudan to lift tea import ban (Aug. 9, 2026); Daily Nation, Sudan junta threatens to cut tea imports from Kenya.