Eastern Produce Kenya said the wage review was part employee welfare sustainability Eastern Produce Kenya director Leah Kibii Chirchir and Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union secretary general Francis Atwoli during the signing of the CBA. /HANDOUT Eastern Produce Kenya director Leah Kibii Chirchir and Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union secretary general Francis Atwoli during the signing of the CBA.
/HANDOUT More than 8,000 employees at Eastern Produce Kenya (EPK) are set to receive a cumulative 14 per cent wage increase under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The move raising labour costs for one of Kenya’s major tea producers as the industry continues to navigate a difficult operating environment.
The agreement signed with the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) provides for a seven per cent general wage increase in 2026, backdated to January, followed by another seven per cent adjustment next year. The deal increasing workers’ earnings at a time when tea producers are grappling with production costs, market conditions and pressure to maintain competitiveness in international markets.
The agreement covers more than 8,000 workers employed by the tea producer and comes against a backdrop of continuing debate over wages and working conditions in Kenya’s agricultural sector, where labour remains a major component of production costs. EPK Company Director Leah Kibii Chirchir said the wage review was part of the company’s broader approach to employee welfare, arguing that workers were central to maintaining production and the quality of Kenyan tea destined for global markets.
The agreement also highlights the balancing act facing tea companies as they seek to improve employee earnings without undermining their ability to compete in a market exposed to volatile commodity prices and rising operating expenses.