Agricultural firm offers staff 14% wage increase

More than 8,000 Eastern Produce Kenya (EPK) staff members are set to enjoy a 14 percent wage increase following the signing of an updated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU).

The updated CBA will give EPK staff a 7 percent general wage increase this year, backdated to January 2026, with a further 7 percent increase next year.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, EPK Company Director Leah Kibii Chirchir said the company continues to prioritise staff welfare as part of its corporate strategy.

“Our employees are at the heart of our business. Every day, through their dedication and hard work, they contribute to EPK’s success and the quality of the tea we produce. We therefore welcome this review as an important step towards supporting the welfare and livelihoods of workers in the agricultural sector,” said Ms Chirchir.

Flanked by KPAWU Secretary General Francis Atwoli, Mrs Chirchir described the company’s staff welfare plans as deliberate shared prosperity initiatives.

The company, she added, recognises the important role its employees play in sustaining its operations and delivering quality Kenyan tea to markets around the world.

Mr. Atwoli, while acknowledging the difficult operating market for tea growers and other agricultural firms, singled out EPK as one of the leading industrial relations compliant players in the sector.

“We recognise the role large tea growers such as EPK are playing in national development, especially in the employment sector. As their industrial relations partner, we shall continue to extend our support for such partners,” Atwoli said.