Despite ‘Karibu Chai’ campaigns, tea consumption remains low among Kenyans, new report reveals
While black tea remains dominant, more consumers are turning to green tea, purple tea, herbal infusions, and specialty blends, especially in urban areas and among health-conscious groups
Despite Kenya being one of the world’s top tea producers, it has emerged that just 5.8 per cent of the country’s total production was consumed domestically last year.
According to the Brewing Trends – Analysis of Kenya’s Tea Industry report, authored by data-driven policy & reporting specialist Allan Kimitei, who currently works with the United States Department of AgricultureUSDA)’s Foreign Agricultural Service, 93 per cent of total tea production in 2024, approximately 644,928 metric tonnes (MT), was exported with Kenyans consuming only 36,700 MT, though he adds its an improvement from previous trends.
“Domestic consumption remains relatively low, but it is slowly rising. In 2024, Kenya produced approximately 644,928 MT of tea, but only 36,700 MT were consumed locally—just 5.8 percent of total production. This marks a slight improvement from the previous year when domestic consumption accounted for just 6.0 percent or 37,300 tons. To increase this share, the Tea Board of Kenya has actively promoted tea drinking, targeting 15 percent domestic uptake of total production,” the report, which was released on Tuesday, says.
The report, which was co-authored with the Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) and approved by Bret Tate, the Agricultural counselor at the US Embassy in Nairobi’s Office of Agricultural Affairs, however, ranks Kenyan consumers rank among the top tea drinkers in Africa, noting that per capita tea consumption reached 0.72 kilogrammes in 2024, significantly above the global average of 0.3 kilogrammes.
“Between 2022 and 2024, national tea consumption grew by 3.01 percent annually, driven by a strong tea culture that includes morning, mid-morning, afternoon and evening consumption,” it adds.
According to the report, consumer spending has also increased with the the tea sector generated Sh2.159 trillion (US$1.67 billion) during the period, including Sh18.03 billion ( US$139.5 million) from domestic sales.
“The local market is evolving. While black tea remains dominant, more consumers are turning to green tea, purple tea, herbal infusions, and specialty blends, especially in urban areas and among health-conscious groups. Consumption data highlights this shift. In 2022, domestic monthly tea consumption ranged from 2,000 MT in February to a high of 4,420 MT in August. In 2023, consumption rose across most months, notably in January and May,” it says.
The report adds that the growth trend continued into 2024, with April and May recording 3,220 MT and 3,320 MT, respectively. Although a midyear dip occurred between July and September, December 2024 saw the highest monthly consumption in three years, reaching 3,770 tonnes.
