- Coffee farmers gain more options for marketing their produce under the new law
- New regulations seek to improve payments and access to coffee markets
- Kirinyaga reports growth in coffee production as county support continues
Kenya’s coffee sector is entering a new phase under the Coffee Act 2026, with farmers set to have more options in how they market their produce as the government seeks to improve returns and restore coffee’s position as a major cash crop.
The new law provides for four avenues through which Kenyan coffee can be sold, potentially giving growers greater flexibility beyond the traditional auction system at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange.
Coffee Board of Kenya Chairman Henry Kinyua said the Board was working with farmers, cooperatives and other industry players to implement the new law, which was signed by President William Ruto in March 2026.
The four marketing channels provided for under the legislation are the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, direct sales, an international exchange and any other method prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for the sector.
Kinyua said the Coffee Board was now developing regulations to operationalise the law and ensure its provisions translate into tangible benefits for farmers.
“We are here to ensure everybody is clear where we are on the coffee sector and on the government’s commitment that the Kenyan gold continues being the gold that it has been, not only for the country but for the farmers themselves,” Kinyua said.
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About 80 per cent of Kenyan coffee is currently traded through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, making the changes under the new law significant for farmers who have traditionally depended on the auction system to access markets.
The reforms also seek to address concerns over delayed payments, stating that farmers will be paid through the Direct Settlement System and they will receive their money within five days.
The government has further established the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund through the New Kenya Planters’ Cooperative Union to provide financial support to coffee growers.
The changes come as coffee-producing counties push to increase production while grappling with challenges ranging from ageing coffee bushes to the rising cost of farm inputs.
Kirinyaga being one of Kenya’s key coffee-producing counties, production has risen from 32.3 million kilogrammes in 2017 to 49.1 million kilogrammes in 2025, according to County Executive Committee Member for Cooperatives Calvert Njeru.
Njeru, who represented Governor Anne Waiguru during International Coffee Day celebrations at the Kirinyaga Cooperative Union, said the county has continued supporting coffee cooperatives and the union to strengthen the industry.
“In terms of quantity, in terms of production, we have really increased in that line,” Njeru said.
The county has also allocated Ksh 50 million towards extending the parchment store at the Kirinyaga Cooperative Union, where the celebrations were held.
By Lizzy Aluga
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