𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭.

This afternoon, His Excellency Governor FCPA Fernandes Barasa reiterated his administration’s commitment to revolutionizing the tea sector in the county by supporting farmers and fast-tracking industrial investments in tea processing.

Speaking during a consultative meeting with representatives of tea farmers drawn from all six wards of Shinyalu Sub-County at the County Headquarters, Governor Barasa revealed that plans to establish the long-awaited Madala Tea Factory are well on course. The factory, which will sit on an 8-acre parcel of land already procured by the County Government, will be developed in partnership with the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between KTDA and the County Government earlier this year, which has since been ratified by the County Assembly’s Committee on Trade and Industrialization.

“This tea factory will be a game-changer not only for Shinyalu but for other tea-growing areas including Khwisero, Lurambi, and Ikolomani,” asserted Governor Barasa. “We are determined to ensure tea farmers no longer incur losses or get exploited due to lack of proper processing facilities and market access,” he explained.

To protect farmers from exploitation by unscrupulous middlemen, the Governor called on Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to prioritize the enactment of legislation that safeguards the interests of tea growers. He also urged farmers to register themselves into cooperatives so as to enjoy better bargaining power and access to County Government support.

Further, Governor Barasa pledged to empower local farmers to invest in tea seedling development to ensure access to quality, high-yield planting material. “We want our farmers to benefit from every leaf they grow. Supporting seedling production locally is key to improving productivity and incomes,” he emphasized.

This latest development, which follows the recent commissioning of the Lugari Maize Milling Plant, aligns with Governor Barasa’s broader agenda to promote agribusiness, value addition, and rural industrialization as pillars of sustainable economic empowerment in Kakamega County.

Present were MCAs Hon. Helemina L’lanziva, Hon. Elphas Shilosio, Hon. Danstone Mukofu, Hon. Charles Lwanga, Hon. Samuel Segero, and a KTDA delegation led by Mr. Peter Munialo, Chairman Mr. Paul Agoi, and County Executives led by the CS, Dr. Lawrence Omuhaka.