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{
    "id": 1526689,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1526689/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 161,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mutahi Kagwe",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 229,
        "legal_name": "Mutahi Kagwe",
        "slug": "mutahi-kagwe"
    },
    "content": "(2) It is our intention to curb tea hawking malpractices which lead to processing of low-quality tea leaves. This will be achieved by enforcing the Tea Registration and Licensing Regulations 2025. I emphasize there that our tea quality has been compromised to an extent that there are people who are hawking it. They do not have any tea of their own and essentially get it from the gates of tea factories. That is why you hear of tea theft in parts of Rift Valley. Effective this week or today, the hawking of tea across the country will be stopped so that farmers can deliver their tea themselves and ensure that the quality standards are met. We have also instructed that the Tea Board takes effective action to control this issue and to ensure that independent processors of tea also buy from registered farmers so that the hawking business can be put to an end. (3) We intend to gazette the Green Leaf Quality standard guidelines to curb harvesting and processing of low-quality tea. (4) We intend to gazette of tea regulations to operationalize the Tea Act 2020. (5) Working with both Houses of Parliament, we intend to make necessary amendments to the Tea Act 2020 in order to address all challenges facing the subsector and- (6) Supporting value addition to Kenyan tea by funding two value addition hubs in Ketepa in Kericho County, and Nairobi City County to enhance value addition. (7) In addition, we intend to undertake capacity building of tea factories to manufacture specialty tea, including orthodox based on the market requirements to enhance diversification. (8) We intend to support the small holder tea factories in establishment of more orthodox tea and manufacturing lines. (9) We intend to facilitate allocation of land for establishment of a common user facility at Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone and facilitate joint ventures and Public- Private Partnerships (PPP)s in value addition of tea within the Special Economic Zones. (10) We intend to establish a tea testing centre in Mombasa County. Sourcing of equipment is ongoing to ascertain the quality of tea. I emphasize here, about the importance of us keeping the quality of tea because that is what Kenya is known for. (11) Establishing and enforcing guidelines on Green Tea Leaf Quality standards in order to address the declining quality of Kenya tea. (12) Export coaching on packaging and branding targets in terms of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) along the value chain and continuous sensitization on market requirements, market linkages to the exporters and undertaking promotion activities. (13) Enhancing market access of Kenyan tea by undertaking trade missions and promotion activities in the global markets that is traditional as well as the emerging ones. And finally- (14) Establishment of export warehousing hubs as we have in places like Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo and Dubai and bilateral trade agreements to facilitate market access and expansion."
}