A multimillion shilling tea estate owned by Kenyan tycoon David Langat is scheduled for auction. The estate, spanning 1,342 acres and situated in Nandi County, is owned by DL Koisagat Tea Estate Ltd., a company owned by the influential businessman. Additionally, a property in the port city of Mombasa, used by Langat’s DL Group for tea handling and packaging, is also up for auction.
According to a public notice from the auctioneer Garam Investments, the parcel encompasses 1,342 acres and features a dedicated tea zone for export-oriented commercial tea cultivation. The estate boasts 2.47 million tea bushes across 958.75 acres, alongside 100,942 eucalyptus trees and 2,223 cypress trees.
The tea estate includes amenities such as a hospital and Koisagat Primary School. It also comprises residential areas, encompassing managerial houses and workers’ quarters. As stated by the auctioneers, woodlots are periodically harvested to supply wood fuel for tea processing.
The Mombasa property is located off Moi Avenue. Koisagat is one of the country’s most prominent black tea exporters and procures teas from farmers in Nandi County.
Garam’s notice describes the subject property as a 0.7-acre plot housing a four-story office block and five go-downs. These go-downs serve various purposes, including the processing and packaging tea products.
Langat amassed his fortune through import and export ventures and later expanded into agribusiness, real estate, energy, hospitality, insurance, and special economic zones (SEZs). DL Group, his firm, indicates that importing and exporting goods, including electronics and furniture, were among its earliest activities after its establishment in the 1980s.
In the 2022 elections, Langat supported Kenyan President William Ruto’s bid for State House. President Ruto appointed him to the National Investment Council alongside other prominent entrepreneurs and executives, such as billionaire businessman Humphrey Kariuki and Sitoyo Lopokoiyit.
Langat has a history of failing to honor his debt obligations. In October 2021, he and his family members were sued by a travel agency for allegedly failing to settle a $152,000 travel bill incurred over one year.
