NYARUGURU – Browns Investments PLC (BIL), the investment arm of Sri Lanka’s LOLC Group, has officially inaugurated the Kibeho Tea Factory in Rwanda’s southern district of Nyaruguru, further expanding its footprint on the African continent.
The new facility was developed through Browns Plantations Rwanda, the local subsidiary of Browns Investments, in partnership with the Wood Foundation and with support from the UK government.
With an investment of up to Rwf 30 billion by the UK, the factory is expected to transform Rwanda’s tea industry by creating an estimated 25,000 jobs, attracting $135 million in foreign direct investment, and delivering $30 million annually to smallholder farmers.
At the launch ceremony, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Dr Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, the UK High Commission, and local officials hailed the project as a milestone for agricultural exports and rural development.
“This factory strengthens Rwanda’s position as a leading tea producer while directly uplifting incomes of rural communities,” the Minister said.
The Kibeho Tea Factory forms part of Rwanda’s wider strategy to expand cash crop exports with an emphasis on value addition.
Rwanda’s tea export revenue for the 2023/2024 fiscal year reached $114.8 million, with 38,467.7 tons of processed tea exported, mainly to Britain and Pakistan.
For Browns Investments, the project underscores its commitment to long-term partnerships the regio, positioning Rwanda as a central hub in its agricultural investment portfolio.
With production underway, the factory is set to play a vital role in boosting Rwanda’s tea exports while reinforcing economic cooperation between Kigali, Colombo, and London.
