Nairobi — A Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) managed tea factory in Nyamira District will be expanded at a cost of Sh100 million to ease congestion.

The expansion of Nyansiongo Tea Factory will start next month and will be completed in a year. Farmers will raise a Sh150 million equity for the construction to start.

Factory's board of directors chairman, Mr Nahashon Mwebi on Friday said the factory was currently receiving green tea leaves beyond its capacity of 12 million kilos a year.

"We are currently overstretched and that is why the board decided to expand the factory. In December we received 1.8 million kilos against the processing capacity of 800, 000 kilos," he added.

In the expansion programme, new dryers and boilers will be installed.

Directors Mr Japhet Onyari, Mr John Nyagarama, Ms Claire Omanga, Mr Spencer Obutu and factory manager, Mr Isaiah Kiget said the factory will construct a satellite processing unit in the next three years to relieve production.

A group of shareholders are opposed to the construction of the new factory but the directors said the decision was final.