What changed
Sudan has lifted its ban on Kenyan tea after a 20-month embargo that began in March 2025 following a diplomatic rift.
The decision came after President William Ruto met Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris at the COMESA summit in Harare. Ministerial Order No. 25 of 2026 restores market access for Kenyan tea.
Why it matters
The ban cut Kenyan tea exports to Sudan from 20 million kilos to 8.7 million kilos. Reported earnings fell from Ksh 4.5 billion to Ksh 1.93 billion, putting pressure on exporters and the farmers and families who depend on them.
The informed outlook is cautiously positive. Reopening the market gives Kenya a chance to rebuild lost sales and trade ties, but the report does not say when shipments will resume or whether every restriction has been removed. That makes the next practical test simple: whether tea starts moving again at scale.
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