There Wilson Muthaura pressed the government to put the tea his KTDA co-operative produces on a list of essentials that would grant firms access to precious U.S. dollars.
"We met a delegation there with the government."
His urgent lobbying reflects anxiety about a scarcity of dollars across emerging markets, leaving his customers unable to pay.
The World Bank says one in four such countries have effectively lost access to bond markets - a key source of money to pay for food and other commodities.
That as rising interest rates and inflation in the developed world have investors putting their money into safe havens.
That leaves KTDA's clients in Pakistan, its biggest market, short on dollars, and the co-op that produces 60% of Kenya's tea potentially struggling to pay its own bills.
Although the dollar's share as a global reserve currency has dropped to 59% from 70% over a decade, it continues to dominate global trade.
And because it is widely accepted and broadly holds its value, it remains strongly favored among ordinary citizens in developing countries.
But Muthaura says countries should follow South Africa in trying to wean themselves off the greenback:
"With the experiences we have over dollar shortage, that's the direction now all African countries should get into. They can trade with their own currencies. So for us, if that is embraced the way South Africa, they don't deal with the dollar they deal with the rand, but that that becomes better for all of us because that makes our business, it is opening on businesses. So we we're looking forward to that being addressed by African countries."
JPMorgan calculates that 21 countries with a combined $240 billion of international debt are now effectively locked out capital markets, and facing crisis measures.
Ethiopia has banned the import of some goods.
Others including Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Pakistan have introduced capital controls.
In Kenya, President William Ruto has backed calls for a trade payments system using local currencies.
