Gathoni Wamuchomba quits UDA: Warns over tea factory debt

By: Liz Anyango & Jim Mwanda

In Summary 

• Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba quits UDA
• Wamuchoma Raises Alarm as all Tea factories are in Debt crisis.

Kenya’s tea farmers are facing a difficult season, with declining bonuses, falling tea prices and billions of shillings in factory debt raising fresh concerns about the future of the country’s tea industry.

Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has now warned that the situation could worsen unless the government moves urgently to protect farmers and struggling tea factories.

Wamuchomba, who chairs the National Assembly caucus on tea and coffee, said tea factories collectively owe banks and financial institutions about Sh34.05 billion.

The figure is contained in an audit by the Tea Board of Kenya covering 69 factories, with the outstanding balances recorded as of December 31, 2025. The audit found that commodity loans accounted for the largest share of the debt.

According to Wamuchomba, the debt has contributed to the financial pressure now being experienced across the tea sector.

She claimed that some factories borrowed money to finance farmers’ bonus payments, leaving growers with payouts that were partly supported by loans rather than proceeds from tea sales.

The MP cited factories where farmers’ bonuses have fallen sharply, arguing that the situation threatens the sustainability of tea farming and the rural economies that depend on it.

Her concerns come amid wider pressure in the tea market.

Kenyan tea has faced weaker demand and increased competition from other producing countries, while industry players have raised concerns over the impact of the 0.8 per cent tea export levy introduced on May 1, 2026.

Wamuchomba is calling for the levy to be suspended, arguing that it has added pressure to an already struggling sector and could ultimately affect farmers’ earnings.

The Tea Board, however, says the levy is intended to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the industry, with funds directed towards areas including price stabilisation, research, Tea Board operations and county infrastructure.

Wamuchomba is also calling for the government to publish the tea factory audit and develop individual recovery and restructuring plans for factories carrying heavy debt.

She further wants a debt waiver programme considered for distressed factories, similar to interventions that have been undertaken in the coffee sector.

But her concerns extend beyond tea.

Wamuchomba has also questioned the governance and ownership structure of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, arguing that the institution handling coffee farmers’ produce and proceeds should be structured to safeguard the interests of growers.

She claims that recommendations made following a parliamentary review of the exchange in 2023, including an advisory from the Attorney-General’s office, have not been implemented.

Wamuchomba is demanding that the government establish a legally constituted entity owned by farmers to oversee the exchange, arguing that farmers should have greater control over the system through which their coffee is traded.

The MP’s remarks come as she also announced a major political shift ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Wamuchomba said she will defend her Githunguri parliamentary seat for a third term but will not use the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.

“I am going to defend my seat for the third term but I am not going to use UDA party,” she said.

She did not disclose the political party under which she will seek re-election, saying she will consult her constituents before announcing her next political move. 

Wamuchomba was elected Githunguri MP on a UDA ticket in the 2022 General Election. Her decision marks a departure from the party as the country heads towards the 2027 polls. 

For Wamuchomba, however, the political shift comes alongside her continued push on issues affecting farmers.

She says the challenges facing tea and coffee farmers should not be treated as temporary problems, warning that prolonged financial pressure could lead to factory closures, job losses and farmers abandoning cash-crop farming.

She is now calling on the national government to intervene urgently, particularly on tea factory debt, declining bonuses, market access and the impact of the export levy.

For millions of farmers whose livelihoods depend on tea and coffee, the bigger question is whether the government can stabilise the two sectors before declining returns and mounting financial pressures deepen into a wider rural economic crisis.