Get a tea manufacturing (factory) licence from the Tea Board of Kenya
Tea Board of Kenya · sources read 3 Oct 2026
Apply on the Tea Board's IMIS portal (imis.teaboard.or.ke) with your company papers, a feasibility study and proof of enough planted tea: at least 700 ha for a black CTC factory or 50 ha for a specialty tea factory. A new licence costs KSh 10,000, paid after approval, and takes about 90 days.
- Fee
- KSh 10,000New tea manufacturing licence (black CTC or specialty)KSh 7,500Licence renewal
- How long
- About 90 days for a new licence
- Where
- Online on the Tea Board of Kenya IMIS portal. Offices: Tea House, Naivasha Road, Nairobi; Kericho; Mombasa
What you need
- Certificate of incorporation and CR12 listing the directors
- Feasibility study: financial, operational, crop development and marketing plans, organogram, and a wood fuel plan if you will burn wood
- No-objection letter from the county government
- Land ownership documents for the factory site and a certified growers' register
- Police clearance and EACC clearance for each director, plus a tax compliance certificate
Steps
- On IMIS (imis.teaboard.or.ke), fill form TBK\TB\R for a black CTC factory or TBK\TB\R1 for a specialty tea factory.
- Upload your company documents, proof of planted tea, feasibility study and director clearances.
- Wait for the Board's decision. Pay the licence fee only after approval: KSh 10,000 new, KSh 7,500 renewal.
Watch out
- Renewals take about 30 days, so apply well before your licence expires.
- Your directors must not sit on the board of any company that does business with the factory.
- If the factory will burn wood, you need a woodlot plan at 4 parts tea to 1 part trees.
Who can apply
- Black CTC factory: a company (or group of companies or persons) with at least 700 ha (1,730 acres) of planted tea within a 50 km radius.
- Specialty tea factory (green, purple, white, oolong, orthodox): at least 50 ha (124 acres) of planted tea within a 50 km radius.
- Tea growers must hold shares in the company.
Official sources (5)
- Registration, Licensing and Standards teaboard.or.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Black CTC Tea Manufacturing Licence (Tea Factory) teaboard.or.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Specialty Tea Manufacturing Licence (Tea Factory) teaboard.or.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Citizens' Service Delivery Charter (English) teaboard.or.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Tea Board of Kenya IMIS imis.teaboard.or.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
