Tobacco export prices dipped sharply in 2025 after reaching a record high the previous year, highlighting growing volatility in Kenya's tobacco market.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows the average export price of tobacco fell to Sh1,166.50 per kilogram in 2025, down from a peak of Sh1,711.30 per kilogramme in 2024.
The decline represents a drop of more than 31 per cent year-on-year.
Despite the setback, tobacco export prices remain significantly higher than levels recorded in previous years.
In 2021, tobacco fetched an average of Sh683.20 per kilogramme before rising steadily to Sh883.90 in 2022 and Sh1,161 in 2023.
The sharp increase witnessed between 2023 and 2024 reflected strong international demand and favourable market conditions.
However, the subsequent decline in 2025 suggests changing dynamics in global tobacco trade, including possible shifts in demand, supply and pricing trends.
Even with the drop, the 2025 export price is still nearly double the amount earned per kilogramme in 2021, underlining the sector's long-term growth in export value.
