Kalonzo points finger at State House over shrinking tea market

Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka levelled a direct accusation at President William Ruto on Tuesday, alleging that diplomatic missteps by the current administration have cost Kenyan farmers their most reliable overseas buyers and pushed tea export prices into a damaging decline.

Diplomatic ties blamed for market slump

Speaking before a crowd gathered for a public rally in Nyamira County — one of Kenya premier tea-growing regions — Kalonzo argued that broken government-to-government relationships, not market forces alone, are behind the contraction gripping the sector.

“The time has come for Kenyans to stand together and reclaim our government.”

— Kalonzo Musyoka, Nyamira County, 24 Feb. 2026

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“Our tea is bought in large quantities by countries like Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan,” Kalonzo told the rally, switching between Swahili and English for emphasis. “But he went and kept company with criminals, until the head of that government said he does not want tea from Kenya. That is why the price of tea has fallen.”

Kenya is Africa’s largest tea exporter and the world’s third-biggest, with the crop accounting for roughly 26% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings, according to the Kenya Tea Board. Pakistan has historically been the single largest buyer of Kenyan tea, absorbing nearly a quarter of total exports, while Egypt and Sudan together represent a further significant share of demand at the Mombasa Tea Auction — the largest of its kind on the continent.

Sudan fallout and the diplomatic deficit

Kalonzo stopped short of specifying the precise diplomatic incident he was referencing regarding Sudan, but his remarks appeared aimed at a broader narrative that President Ruto foreign policy choices have alienated traditional allies. The Sudanese civil war, which erupted in April 2023, has severely disrupted that country’s import capacity, and trade observers have noted a measurable drop in Sudanese purchases at the Mombasa Tea Auction since the conflict began.

The opposition leader insisted that reversing the trend would require more than domestic agricultural fixes. “International investor confidence and market access are not won in boardrooms alone — they are earned through consistent, trustworthy diplomacy,” he said. “That foundation has been allowed to crumble.”

Opposition eyes 2027 with economic message

With the 2027 general election drawing nearer, Kalonzo comments signal a widening opposition strategy that seeks to tie the Ruto administration governance record directly to the pocketbook concerns of rural Kenyans, many of whom depend on tea income for school fees, healthcare and daily sustenance.

Opposition coalition tours Kisii region

Separately, a coalition of opposition leaders that includes former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee presidential hopeful Fred Matiang’i concluded a two-day tour through Kisii region — adjacent to Nyamira — where they issued a joint call for coordinated national pressure on Ruto to leave office. The united front described Kenya as standing at a critical turning point and argued that restoring democratic accountability and economic stability required urgent action from citizens across party lines.

The government had not issued a formal response to Kalonzo tea-market remarks as of publication time. The State House communications office did not immediately return a request for comment.