Kenya, March 14 -- The Sudanese government has issued an indefinite ban on all Kenyan imports, including tea, citing national sovereignty concerns and alleged Kenyan support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in establishing a parallel government.
This decision comes in direct response to Kenya's involvement in hosting the RSF's political activities, leading to a halt in trade through all ports, crossings, and airports.
The ban has economic implications for both nations, with Kenya losing a significant tea market and Sudan facing challenges in replacing Kenyan tea supplies.
The Sovereign Council of Sudan, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, issues an immediate and indefinite ban on all Kenyan imports, including tea, through Ministerial Resolution No. 6 of 2025, citing national sovereignty and alleged interference in Sudanese internal affairs.
The move comes in response to Kenya's reported support for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in their bid to establish a parallel government in Sudan, a move that Khartoum views as a direct threat to its authority.
The military regime, which has been locked in a protracted conflict with the RSF, has increasingly employed economic retaliation as a geopolitical tool, with Kenya now following the DRC among key regional trade partners, severing ties over foreign policy disputes.
With tea exports to Sudan valued at billions of shillings annually, this prohibition threatens to disrupt a critical segment of Kenya's tea sector, which generated Ksh 250 billion (US$1.93 billion) in total revenue in 2024, including Ksh 215 billion (US$1.66 billion) from exports, according to the Tea Board of Kenya.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.