Kenyan tea can head back to Sudan. Khartoum has lifted a 20-month import ban after talks between President William Ruto and Sudan's Prime Minister Kamil Idris. The two leaders met in Harare, Zimbabwe. Their talks took place on the sidelines of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit. Ruto announced the decision on Wednesday, Capital FM reported.
Sudan's Minister of Industry and Trade, Mahasin Ali Yaqoub, signed Ministerial Order No. 25 of 2026, People Daily reported. The order formally allows Kenyan tea imports again. According to Tuko, it takes effect immediately. The Eastleigh Voice said the decision reopens a market worth Sh9 billion.
The ban hit exporters hard. People Daily reported that it left millions of kilogrammes of tea stranded in Mombasa. It also disrupted a market worth billions of shillings a year. Tuko said the embargo cost exporters millions in losses.
Ruto said Kenya welcomed the decision. He said it restores opportunities for exporters and supports the livelihoods of tea farmers and their families. "This progress demonstrates what dialogue and constructive diplomacy can achieve," he said. He added that Kenya wants to expand trade with Sudan and work with it for peace and stability in the region.
Sudan imposed the ban in March 2025, as diplomatic relations between Nairobi and Khartoum soured, the Eastleigh Voice reported. Until then, the Sudanese market had consistently absorbed large volumes of Kenyan tea. According to Kenyans.co.ke, the March 2025 notice restricted all imports from Kenya. It barred tea from entering through ports, railways and air transport.
Capital FM reported that the announcement did not say when shipments would resume. Nor did it say whether Kenyan tea would face any new conditions.