Kenyan Coffee Industry Receives Boost with KSh 4 Billion

Co-operatives and MSME Development Cabinet Secretary, Simon Chelugui, has announced a substantial investment of KSh 4 billion. This infusion of funds is expected to have a significant impact on improving productivity and expanding market opportunities for Kenyan coffee.

Chelugui emphasized the importance of this investment and highlighted Belgium’s role as a significant market for Kenyan coffee. Belgium, recognized as Europe’s third-largest importer of green coffee after Germany and Italy, holds great potential for Kenya’s coffee exports.

This announcement follows a pledge made by Deputy President Reigathi Gachagua in October 2023. Gachagua expressed the government’s commitment to empower coffee farmers by enabling them to sell their products directly to international markets, such as the United States and Germany, eliminating the need for intermediaries.

In a historic moment for Kenyan coffee, Deputy President Gachagua presided over the signing of a groundbreaking agreement between Kenya and the Java Coffee Company in Rotselaar, Belgium.

The agreement entails the export of a substantial 700 tonnes of Kenyan coffee, marking the beginning of a new era for the country’s coffee industry.

Deputy President Gachagua also reaffirmed the government’s determination to combat cartels within the coffee sub-sector, likening them to parasites that have long exploited the hardworking farmers.

He shared his enthusiasm for these transformative changes on social media, stating, “It is a monumental outcome of our coffee reforms, with our farmers guaranteed better returns – without brokers and middlemen in the supply chain. The signing of the deal, starting with the export of at least 700 tonnes of coffee, is a milestone in restoring dignity to the farmer.”

Gachagua’s commitment extends beyond the coffee sector, as he emphasized his dedication to bringing about similar reforms in the broader agricultural industry, citing previous successes in combating cartels within the milk sector.