Kenya tea exporters pay eight times more for air freight as Mombasa port chokes

Kenyan tea exporters are opting for air transport to beat Mombasa port congestion.

Photo credit: Fotosearch

Kenyan tea exporters are paying up to eight times more to fly consignments to the United Kingdom as crippling delays at Mombasa port force them to protect contracts and safeguard the country’s reputation in the global tea trade.

Tea Buyers Association chairman Peter Kimanga said exporters had little choice but to use air freight to avoid being branded unreliable suppliers in the UK market.