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22 buffer zones, 9 water towers, 16 counties — protecting Kenya's gazetted forests from the North Rift to the East of the Rift Valley.
Nyayo Tea Zones operates a nationwide network of buffer zones that guard gazetted forests and the water towers they feed, connecting protected forest blocks, tea catchments and the communities that surround them.
22
Zones
9
Water Towers
16
Counties
Where We Operate
Our buffer zones span three broad regions relative to the Great Rift Valley East of the Rift, South Rift, and North Rift, each anchored on a major forest block or water tower, detailed below.
Mt. Kenya & Aberdare Ranges Forests
Buffer zones on the eastern flank of the Rift Valley guard the Mt. Kenya Forest block (Meru Central, Meru South, Embu, Kirinyaga and Mathira zones) and the Aberdare Ranges Forest block (Nyeri, Murang'a and Kiambu zones), feeding the rivers that rise on Mt. Kenya and the Aberdares. Gatitu Tea Factory in Kirinyaga County processes green leaf from this region.
Mau / Trans-Mara & Ol-Posumoru Forest Complex
South of the Rift, buffer zones protect the Mau/Trans-Mara & Ol-Posumoru Forest Complex through the Olenguruone, Nyangores and Kericho zones, part of the wider Mau-Olposimoru and Mau-Kuresoi catchment that feeds rivers flowing into Lake Victoria and the Mara.
Nandi, Kakamega, Mt. Elgon, Cherangani & Kaptagat Forests
North and west of the Rift, zones in Nandi South, Nandi North and Kakamega guard the Nandi and Kakamega Forests, while the Kapsokwony/Saboti, Kapcherop and Kaptarakwa zones protect the Mt. Elgon, Cherangani Hills and Kaptagat Forest blocks. Kipchabo Tea Factory in Nandi County processes green leaf from this region.
Green leaf harvested across our buffer zones is processed close to where it is grown, keeping more of the value in the communities that produce it.
The Corporation's first factory, built in 2010, processes green leaf from Nandi South, Nandi North, Nandi Central and Kakamega across three processing lines with an annual capacity of 21 million kilograms and is expanding into Orthodox tea processing.
Visit Kipchabo Factory
Completed in 2022, Gatitu Tea Factory processes tea from the Kirinyaga, Embu, Mathira and Nyeri buffer zones and is designed as a two-line facility for both CTC and premium Orthodox teas.
Visit Gatitu FactorySince 2014, the Corporation's Value Addition Unit, based at Kipchabo Tea Factory, with a second blending and packaging line for premium Orthodox teas at Gatitu, has been blending, packaging and branding tea for local and overseas markets under the Eco, Chabo and other branded tea lines. In 2026, NTZDC embarked on installing and commissioning machinery to process and package premium Orthodox teas at both factories, tapping into the emerging global market for Orthodox tea.
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