The Kenyan government has unveiled an ambitious plan to scale up the country’s coffee production from the current 50,000 metric tons to 150,000 metric tons by 2028. Cooperatives, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Wycliffe Oparanya announced this during a forum at Kakamega’s Approved School grounds, focused on revitalizing the coffee and dairy sectors in the county.
CS Oparanya described coffee as a potential game-changer in Kenya’s agricultural sector, emphasizing that government-led reforms are already showing positive results. To further bolster the sector, the government has allocated Sh500 million in this year’s budget to support both coffee and dairy farming.
As part of the initiative, the government has launched free training programs for nearly 5,000 potential coffee farmers and begun distributing certified coffee seedlings. Kakamega County has been identified as a pilot region for the project, with plans to train 1,200 youths — 20 from each of the county’s 60 wards — as well as women on coffee farming and crop management.
“Already, 1,700 farmers have prepared 1,400 acres in Likuyani Sub-County for coffee planting, and I urge more of you to join strong cooperatives to benefit from government support,” Oparanya stated.
The government has also established the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) to provide affordable and accessible advances to smallholder coffee farmers. However, Oparanya expressed concern over the limited disbursement to Kakamega County, which received only Sh1.7 million compared to Bungoma’s Sh368 million from the total Sh7.7 billion allocated countrywide last year.
With the government’s strategic investments and support, Kenya’s coffee industry is poised for substantial growth, promising increased production, higher incomes for farmers, and a strengthened agricultural sector.
