Latest news with #Kariuki
DW
21-05-2025
- Business
- DW
'Tea for two' as Kenya seeks to boost exports to China – DW – 05/21/2025
Kenya aims to expand its tea exports to the Chinese market. In return, China will export tea packaging material to Kenya tax-free, before setting up packaging firms for the export market. From its origins in China, tea has spread across trade routes over centuries, becoming a daily ritual for half of the world's population. Recently, Kenya's President William Ruto met with one of China's top three tea producers, Fuzhou Benny Tea Industries, to explore opportunities for increasing Kenyan orthodox and specialty teas in China. Additionally, Kenya aims to strengthen its bilateral trade relationships with China by expanding its exports of important commodities to the Chinese market, such as coffee, avocados, and macadamias, according to a statement published on a Kenyan government website. The high-level meeting brought together key stakeholders from Kenya's tea sector, including representatives from Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture, the KenyaTea Development Agency, and the Kenya Tea Board. "We will soon be allowing tea factories, to sell their teas directly to the international markets without intermediaries," Mutahi Kagwe, Kenya's Minister of Agriculture, told local reporters after the meeting. The East African country is the world's biggest exporter of black tea. In 2024, Kenya's tea industry accounted for nearly 158 billion Ksh ($1.22 billion, €1.065 billion) in annual revenues and supported over 750,000 farmers, according to the country's tea trade regulating body, Kenya Tea Board (KTB). "Benny Tea Industries will be making $100 million worth of investments in Kenya," Willy Mutai, CEO of the Kenya Tea Board, told DW. "According to Mutai, the agreement would allow Chinese firms, such as Benny Tea, to export tea packaging material from China to Kenya tax-free. However, for Kenyan tea farmer Samuel Kariuki, such an agreement could disrupt the local industry. "There could be an interruption when it comes to our supply chains, Kariuki, who is a manager at Sensory Garden Kenya, told DW. "Tax-free packaging materials from China might sort of undercut the local packaging suppliers." Search for more tea markets Challenges such as fluctuating prices, competition from other tea-producing nations, and the need for value addition have forced Kenya to seek strategic partnerships in its tea trade. "Internationally, we face a lot of stringent certification requirements which are very costly and complex for us as farmers," Kariuki said. "Meeting standards like the Rainforest Alliance and the likes of Fair Trade requires some amount of investment that we as farmers are possibly not able to have. Either way, even if we had that kind of investment, the investment is not guaranteed that, you know, there's going to be a return," Kariuki added. Moreover, Trump's tariffshave sent shockwaves through global markets. Kenya hopes that this new partnership with China will improve the production of high-quality Kenyan tea, diversify Kenya's tea exports, and align the country's tea industry with international market demands. Is Africa ready for duty-free access to China? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In addition, it would facilitate setting up modern factories in Kenya for technological transfer and bringing equipment to Kenya that can be used to produce teas that match the quality standards of the Chinese market. Kenya hopes to establish standard user packaging facilities, enabling tea farmers to add value at the source. Mutai explained that Kenya is changing its policies to accommodate international buyers, allowing them to buy raw material or branded teas directly from factories in Kenya. The Trump tariffs' effect Trump's tariffs on China has forced the world's second-largest economy to seek and solidify its trade partnerships with countries like Kenya. Although Trump gave the world a 90-day relief, Kenya is grappling with the 10% universal tariff that the US president left intact. We are currently doing 10% tariffs on the US," Mutai noted, emphasizing that the US trade barriers offer a significant opportunity for Chinese investors in tea. "They can come and pack here in Kenya." AGOA and AfCFTA trade deals allow Kenya to export products, such as flowers, tariff free Image: epa Jon Hrusa/dpa/picture-alliance Kenya's tea industry stands to benefit significantly from two major trade frameworks. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Kenya's two crucial trade deals Under the AfCFTA, Kenya gains preferential access to a vast African market by eliminating tariffs and reducing trade barriers among member states. This agreement facilitates smoother intra-African trade, allowing Kenyan tea to reach new and growing markets across the continent more competitively. It also encourages regional value chains, enabling Kenya to process and package tea locally before exporting, thereby increasing earnings and creating jobs. The agreement has already shown promise, with Kenya exporting tea to Ghana under AfCFTA protocols. What is the AGOA US-Africa trade program? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On the other hand, AGOA provides Kenya with duty-free access to the United States for a wide range of products, including tea. The deal gives Kenyan tea a pricing advantage in the US market and opens opportunities for value-added exports, such as branded and specialty teas. AGOA also incentivizes investment in quality improvement and packaging, helping Kenya move up the value chain and appeal to premium consumers. Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Scotsman
CCTV catches pickpocket stealing purse in Costa Coffee
This video More videos Disturbing CCTV shows how a serial thief brazenly stole a woman's purse out of her pocket as she ate in a Costa Coffee branch. Keep up with the latest new videos with the Shots! Newsletter. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Watch the moment when a pickpocket got caught on camera stealing from a woman's coat in a cafe (click to play above). Jane Kariuki, 48, targeted women to steal purses and use their bank cards. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She takes the purse from coat pocket On 23 May last year, Kariuki - who has now been told she will be deported - was caught on CCTV taking a woman's purse from a table in a Costa Coffee branch. The shocking footage above shows the moment when she sneakily raids an unsuspecting woman's pocket as she is looking away. A serial thief who is currently serving more than four years in prison has been convicted of further offences and told she will be deported. | cambs police Thief used stolen bank cards A week later, she entered a British Heart Foundation charity shop and stole another purse from a shopper before using one of the stolen bank cards to spend a total of £106.48 at various convenience stores later that day. On 18 June, Kariuki sat on a table behind her next victim in a buffet and slid the woman's handbag towards her before stealing a purse. Later the same month she was caught on CCTV using a stolen bank card to spend £100.95 at a tobacconist desk in Waitrose. All the shops were in Peterborough city centre. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Serial thief will be deported Kariuki, formerly of Toftland, Bretton, Peterborough, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Friday (2 May) where she was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of theft from a person and two counts of fraud by false representation. Thief Jane Kariuki targeted her victims as they dined in restaurants, often taking items from women's handbag. Kariuki (47) of Toftland, Orton Malborne, Peterborough, was jailed for four years and three months, having pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft, four counts of fraud and failing to surrender to bail at the appointed time The sentence will be served alongside a four-year-and-three-month prison term she was given on 6 March after she admitted seven counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation and failing to answer bail. PC James Cullimore, from Peterborough's city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: 'Kariuki is a brazen and prolific thief who had been targeting women within the city centre. 'Her sentence shows how seriously these offences are taken and, upon her completing her time in prison, she will be deported.'
Khabar Agency
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Khabar Agency
UK Vows to Hold Houthis Accountable
The United Kingdom has thrown its weight behind the United Nations' decision to suspend humanitarian operations in Yemen's Houthi-held Saada Governorate, citing 'grave risks' to aid workers and systemic obstruction by the Iran-backed militia. Ambassador James Kariuki, the UK's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, delivered a scathing condemnation of Houthi abuses during a Security Council session on Yemen, linking the group's actions to a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Kariuki opened by applauding the Council's unified condemnation of Houthi detentions, including the tragic death of a World Food Programme (WFP) staffer in custody. 'Continued Council unity sends an unequivocal message: Release all detainees immediately and unconditionally,' he declared. The UK envoy emphasized that the UN's pause in Saada—a Houthi stronghold—is a direct response to the militia's 'relentless threats' against humanitarian personnel, who face kidnappings, bureaucratic hurdles, and violence. The suspension compounds existing crises worsened by climate change, with Kariuki noting that 'water scarcity and food insecurity are now weaponized by conflict.' A morning press briefing by UN officials, including remarks from Ms. Ali of OCHA, echoed concerns over Houthi restrictions strangling aid to 21 million Yemenis in need. Weapons Intercepted, Iran Accused of Fueling War In a significant revelation, Kariuki highlighted the Yemeni Coast Guard's recent interception of a dhow smuggling advanced Iranian-made weapon components—including missile parts and drones—to Houthi-controlled Hodeida port. 'This is irrefutable proof of Tehran's destabilizing role,' he stated, condemning Iran's 'blatant violation' of the UN arms embargo under Resolution 2216. The UK renewed calls for global enforcement of the embargo and urged the international community to bolster the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM), tasked with blocking illicit arms flows. 'UNVIM is Yemen's lifeline against smuggled weapons. It must be fully funded,' Kariuki insisted. Maritime Security Push and Path to Peace Amid rising Red Sea tensions, the UK announced plans to launch the Yemen Maritime Security Partnership later this year, collaborating with Yemen's government and allies to strengthen coastal defenses. The initiative aims to empower Yemen's Coast Guard to combat smuggling and piracy, critical steps toward stabilizing trade routes. Kariuki reaffirmed the UK's commitment to a UN-led political solution, pledging unwavering support for Special Envoy Hans Grundberg's efforts. 'There is no military fix to this conflict. Only an inclusive, Yemeni-owned process can bring lasting peace,' he asserted.
