Paul Arithi 
- Kenya Tea Eyes Global Recognition Ahead of Africa-France Summit;
Murang’a County is steadily gaining international recognition for its premium high-altitude tea, thanks to a collaborative effort aimed at securing Geographical Indication (GI) certification for Kenyan tea.
Geographical Indication (GI) certification is a globally recognized mark that links a product’s quality, reputation, or unique characteristics to its geographical origin, ensuring only products from the designated region can use the name while protecting their authenticity and heritage.
Globally, several well-known products have achieved GI certification, serving as benchmarks for quality and authenticity.
These include Champagne from France, Darjeeling Tea from India, Parma Ham from Italy, Roquefort Cheese from France, and Kona Coffee from Hawaii.
This ambitious initiative, which has already attracted attention from global brands such as Palais des Thés from France, highlights the transformative power of partnerships in driving sustainable development and elevating local products to global standards.
The efforts are being driven by a multi-stakeholder collaboration involving the Murang’a County Government, the French Embassy, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), local tea farmers, and Equity Group, which has played a key role through its Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP) by leveraging expertise in food and agriculture, trade and investment, and manufacturing.
As Kenya prepares to host the Africa-France Summit in May 2026 – the first of its kind in East Africa – the stakeholders gathered at Gatura Greens Tea Farm in Murang’a to celebrate the progress made in branding Murang’a tea as a world-class product.
The tea-tasting event offered a platform for French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet, Murang’a
