The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Paul Rono, has directed the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) to intensify its crackdown on individuals involved in tea weighing machine malpractices.

Speaking at Chelal Tea Factory in Bureti Constituency, Kericho County, before proceeding to Motigo Factory in Bomet County, Rono said some factory clerks have tampered with weighing machines, compromising the accuracy of tea leaf measurements.

The PS cited the recent seizure of a factory official in Bomet over alleged weighing malpractices, warning that similar action will be taken against anyone found manipulating weighing machines for personal gain.
Rono warned factory officials and clerks against falsifying weighing machines, saying such practices undermine farmers and deny them the rightful value of their tea.

He also urged tea farmers to continue improving the quality of their tea leaves, noting that better-quality produce is key to securing better prices and improving farmers’ earnings.