Bishop Anthony Poggo, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, has visited the Kamarich Empowerment Tea Factory, in Kaboi, in the Anglican Diocese of Kapsabet. It was part of a two-day visit to the area, hosted by The Rt Rev Dr Paul Korir, the Bishop of Kapsabet.
Tea production is one of the main occupations of the local community and people of the parish. Hosted by Isaish Kidet, the Operations Manager, Isaiah explained that the factory is owned by 10,000 ‘small scale farmers’ in the area, who have combined their resources to develop the factory in 2021, along with another site in the region. Every year, the tea factory processes 20 million tonnes of tea leaves, producing over 5 million kilos of black tea.
The Secretary General went to the fields to see the leaf picking. He also toured the factory to learn about the tea production process from leaf to cup, enjoying full mug of tea at the end.
Bishop Anthony said: ‘I thank the community at the Kamarich Empowerment Tea Factory for their time and tour today. Now that I know the process and all the people involved, I will have a greater enjoyment and appreciation for tea drinking. It is inspiring to see how the factory is contributing to the fight against poverty in a rural setting and that small scale, local farmers are joining together to develop this business.’
Following the tea tour, the Secretary General visited the Parish of All Saints in Kaboi, one of the diocese’s 47 parishes. They were hosted by Reverend Philip Rop, Canon David Chumba, Canon Samuel Ng’eny, Reverend Wilson Bassy, Clarah Bett, the Parish Chair Lady for Mothers’ Union and others from the church community.
Canon Samuel Ng'eny was a former member of the Anglican Consultative Council, representing the Anglican Church of Kenya, and took part in previous ACC meetings in Cape Town, Central America and Scotland. He shared words of welcome to the Secretary General. He was also a former deputy speaker of the Kenyan National Assembly.
The Secretary General shared a homily on Matthew 28 and the Great Commission, encouraging the church in their ministry and service to the community. He enjoyed lunch with the parish community that had been prepared by members of Mothers’ Union.
Bishop Anthony expressed his gratitude to the parish community. ‘It has been a joy to spend time with Anglican sisters and brothers in the Parish of All Saints, Kaboi. We spent time in prayer and fellowship and learned more about their ministry in the region. I share my thanks to all involved in making this visit possible.’
The Secretary General’s visitation programme will continue to other dioceses in Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan.