By Dorothy Musyoka
The Government is reforming Kenya’s coffee sector to enhance production, increase value addition, and improve the incomes of farmers across key coffee growing regions in the country.
In a move to accelerate these reforms, a consensus-building forum was held at the Official Residence of the Deputy President Prof.Kithure Kindiki in Karen, bringing together Members of Parliament from coffee-growing regions in Rift Valley, Central, Eastern, Western, and Nyanza.
During the forum, it was noted that legislative reforms in Parliament are in their final stages.
“In Parliament, legislative reforms and initiatives are at the tail end to help improve the production, marketing, value addition and sustainability of the coffee industry. The new legislative regime will help democratise coffee marketing, eliminate middlemen and cartels and improve governance in the management of cooperative societies,” stated DP Kindiki.
To further support coffee farmers, the Government has initiated a debt authentication process for coffee cooperative societies.
This process seeks to verify outstanding debts and allocate resources for their waiver, cushioning farmers from deductions that eat into their earnings.
Additionally, the Government is modernizing coffee milling plants to reduce post-harvest losses and improve the quality of Kenyan coffee, ensuring better prices in global markets.
The forum emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between policymakers, farmers, and stakeholders to ensure the success of these reforms.