The East African nation is the world's biggest exporter of black tea, one of its top earners of hard currency along with tourism and cash sent home by its citizens living abroad.

The average price of the leaves slipped to $2.76 per kg during the period from $3.00 per kg in the same period last year, the directorate said.

The higher production of the crop was attributed to good rainfall in the tea growing highlands during the period, the regulator said.

The regulator said in February it expected output to rise to 452 million kg this year with export earnings also rising by 5 percent to 135 billion Kenyan shillings ($1.35 billion).