NAIROBI – A senior Kenyan delegation on Wednesday appealed to Sudan to lift its ban on Kenyan tea imports, saying the measure has inflicted heavy losses on tea farmers and exporters and left millions of kilograms of tea stranded at the Port of Mombasa.

The delegation, led by Wiper Party leader and prominent Kenyan presidential contender Kalonzo Musyoka, met Sudan’s ambassador to Kenya, Kamal Jabara, at the Sudanese Embassy in Nairobi. It also included the Executive Director of the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) and an opposition member of parliament.

Musyoka said the delegation asked the Sudanese government to reconsider the import ban, noting that more than 3.4 million kilograms of tea originally destined for the Sudanese market have remained stored at Mombasa Port for months despite being processed and packaged for export.

He attributed the crisis to deteriorating relations between Sudan and Kenya, arguing that the Sudanese government’s decision to halt Kenyan imports followed Nairobi’s alleged support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a claim repeatedly made by Khartoum. Kenya has consistently denied backing the RSF.

Sudan suspended imports from Kenya earlier this year amid growing diplomatic tensions after accusing Nairobi of supporting the RSF and hosting meetings involving political groups allied with the force. The move effectively closed one of Kenya’s traditional tea export markets.

Musyoka called on Transitional Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to lift the ban, even temporarily, to ease the financial burden on Kenyan producers and exporters. He also criticized President William Ruto’s Sudan policy, arguing that it has harmed Kenya’s tea industry without helping resolve the dispute with Khartoum.

The Kenyan opposition leader further alleged that Sudanese gold is being smuggled through Kenya and re-exported with Kenyan certificates of origin, claiming proceeds from some of the trade are used to finance arms purchases. He did not provide evidence to support the allegations.

Musyoka said the delegation was informed that Sudan and Kenya had previously agreed to establish a joint committee to address outstanding bilateral issues, but that the mechanism has yet to begin its work.

He expressed hope that dialogue would restore normal relations between the two countries, stressing their longstanding economic and historical ties.