Tea Board of Kenya

What Tea Board of Kenya does

Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) is a Kenyan State Corporation established under Tea Act No. 23 of 2020 and operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. It is the sole statutory body responsible for developing, regulating, licensing, and promoting Kenya's tea sub-sector, serving 600,000+ smallholder farmers organized through 54 KTDA-managed factories, large estates (Williamson Tea, Eastern Produce Kenya, Browns Plantations), packers (Ketepa), exporters, brokers, warehouse operators, and auction organizers. The Board's mandate spans trade advisory and market promotion, registration and licensing, compliance and surveillance, and tea development, with regional offices in Nairobi, Kericho, and Mombasa covering 19 tea-growing counties.

TBK operates two core digital platforms: the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) at imis.teaboard.or.ke, which automates remote acquisition of regulatory documents and integrates with the Kentrade Trade Facilitation Portal, and the Tea Growers National Database, which registers and tracks farmers. Internal operations are managed through Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP. The Board's revenue model is regulatory rather than commercial — drawing from licensing fees, dealer registration fees, and the newly implemented Tea Levy under the Tea Levy Regulations 2026 — supplemented by government grants for sector modernization (notably KSh 950 million for factory modernization and value addition). It is not a revenue-generating product business; it is an institutional counterparty for the entire Kenyan tea value chain.

Market access is a primary GTM function: TBK organizes international trade exhibitions, buyer/seller meetings, diplomatic outreach, and an annual promotional plan targeting traditional, emerging, and new export markets. The Mombasa Tea Auction, operated by EATTA under TBK licensing, is the world's largest black tea auction and the principal channel through which the 91% export share of Kenya's 450+ million Kgs annual production is traded. Domestically, TBK promotes local consumption through women and youth entrepreneur programs and branded tea stalls, targeting the remaining 9% of production.

Name

Tea Board of Kenya

Legal name

Tea Board of Kenya

Website

https://teaboard.or.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tea Board of Kenya is a State Corporation under Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture, established by Tea Act No. 23 of 2020 to license, regulate, and promote Kenya's tea industry, serving 600,000+ smallholder farmers, 54+ factories, exporters, and brokers across 19 tea-growing counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tea Industry Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Tea industry regulation
• Tea licensing services
• Tea trade facilitation
• Tea quality standards
• Tea market promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Regulatory Fees and Licensing: TBK collects fees for licensing tea factories, registering dealers, and issuing regulatory documents through the IMIS system.
2. Tea Levy: Implementation of tea levy for enhancing competitiveness of Kenya's tea sector (Tea Levy Regulations 2026).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tea Board of Kenya is a government regulatory body that licenses, registers, and regulates tea factories, manufacturers, exporters, importers, brokers, packers, warehouse operators, and auction organizers. It also provides trade advisory, market promotion, compliance surveillance, and tea development services to industry stakeholders, administering the Tea Levy and overseeing quality standards across Kenya's tea value chain.

Product overview

Tea Board of Kenya operates as a regulatory and promotional body for Kenya's tea industry, offering a suite of licensing, compliance, market development, and tea development services. The primary digital platform is the IMIS (Integrated Management Information System), which provides online regulatory document services to stakeholders. The organization licenses and regulates various tea industry entities including factories, warehouses, packers, exporters, brokers, and auction organizers, while also supporting tea development through research collaboration and capacity building programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IMIS (Integrated Management Information System) An online portal that automates Tea Board of Kenya's business processes, enabling tea industry stakeholders (factories, exporters, brokers, warehouse operators, packers) to acquire regulatory documents remotely without visiting the agency in person.
• Tea Growers National Database A national database system for tea growers used by TBK to register and track tea farmers across Kenya's tea-growing counties.
• Registration, Licensing and Standards Services Statutory service for licensing tea factories, manufacturers, exporters, importers, brokers, warehouse operators, packers, and auction organizers, and for setting and enforcing tea industry standards.
• Trade Advisory, Marketing and Promotion Services Service providing trade advisory, market access facilitation, and international promotion of Kenyan tea through trade missions, exhibitions, and buyer/seller meetings.
• Compliance and Surveillance Services Monitoring and enforcement service ensuring tea industry players comply with regulatory requirements, quality standards, and the tea levy framework.
• Tea Development Services Service supporting tea sector development through research collaboration (Tea Research Institute), capacity building, factory modernization, value addition initiatives, and farmer empowerment programs such as the youth and women in tea agenda.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52.53 Million kgs tea production in March 2026, up 38.49% from 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and strategic.

• Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock DevelopmentcoreOthersParent government ministry that oversees TBK. The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development (currently Mutahi Kagwe) appoints the Board of Directors. PS Regina Ombam handles trade aspects.
• Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) / Tea Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on tea research including breeding, cultivar selection, disease management, climate adaptation, and product diversification. Research priorities include organic tea farming, specialty teas, and value addition.
• Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages 54 tea factories serving 600,000 smallholder farmers. KTDA is transitioning to independent factory management under TBK oversight.
• East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed auction organizer operating the Mombasa Tea Auction. TBK collaborates with EATTA on tea trade facilitation and market access.
• Kenya Tea Growers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents large-scale tea growers and estates. Partner in industry policy development and promotion activities.
• Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)majorTechnology or IntegrationTBK led by CEO Willy K Mutai convened consultative meetings with KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari to address KEBS levies impact on sector competitiveness and regulatory compliance.
• National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerCEO Willy K Mutai hosted NOC-K's James Mureu to explore strategic partnership to promote Kenyan tea through sports, enhance global visibility, and empower youth through tea entrepreneurship.
• AB Exports Kenya LimitedstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Willy K Mutai received AB Exports Director Shiraz Akbarally for courtesy visit focused on value addition, product diversification, market expansion, and enhancing global competitiveness of Kenyan tea.
• County Governments (Kericho, Bomet, and others)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with county governments for tea extension services, farmer training, and localized tea development programs. County Agricultural Officers receive training from TBK.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Uganda Tea Association: Industry body representing tea growers and exporters in Uganda. Regional peer with comparable tea industry promotion and trade focus, serving a smaller East African tea sector that overlaps with TBK's broader regional ambitions.
• Rwanda National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB): Government agency with mandate to develop and promote Rwandan agricultural exports including tea. Regional peer with similar development-and-promotion remit, though covering a smaller tea industry and a different national jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Tea Research Institute of Kenya (TRI): Kenya's dedicated tea research function under KALRO, focused on cultivar development, climate adaptation, and specialty tea research. A natural R&D partner to TBK with overlapping stakeholder base but purely research mandate.
• East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA): Industry trade association that operates the Mombasa Tea Auction — the world's largest black tea auction. Overlaps with TBK on trade facilitation and market access, but is membership-driven rather than government-mandated.

Broad incumbents

• Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA): Largest tea producer in Kenya, managing 54 factories serving 600,000+ smallholder farmers. Functions as a key regulated entity and operational partner under TBK's oversight, with substantially larger scale and direct industry footprint.
• Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS): National standards body responsible for quality and standards enforcement across Kenyan industries, including tea. Acts as a partner agency to TBK on quality standards and levy-related compliance, with a broader cross-sector mandate.
• Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Kenya: Statutory body under Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture overseeing multiple crop directorates including coffee, horticulture, and previously tea. Larger portfolio than TBK and operates at a higher institutional level in the same mandate area.

Others

• Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS): Statutory body responsible for plant health, seed quality, and phytosanitary regulation in Kenya. Adjacent regulatory peer operating in the same agricultural value chain, with overlapping producer and exporter stakeholder base.

Direct peers

• Sri Lanka Tea Board: Government authority under Sri Lanka's Ministry of Plantations that regulates, licenses, and promotes Ceylon tea exports. Directly comparable to TBK in mandate, regulatory function, and export-promotion focus for a major tea-producing nation.
• Tea Board of India: Statutory body under India's Ministry of Commerce that regulates, licenses, and promotes the Indian tea industry. Most direct functional peer to TBK given its government mandate, licensing authority, and trade promotion role for a major tea-producing country.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TeaBoardKenya
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGJAwpPExSdhctC-YzjBuyw
• Facebookfacebook.com/chaikenya
• Instagraminstagram.com/teaboardkenya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tea-board-of-kenya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tea Board of Kenya