Kenya’s coffee found an unexpected high-value market in Kuwait, where a recent shipment achieved the highest global prices in the first half of 2025. The Gulf nation has emerged as a premium buyer under the direct sales system, highlighting the growing appeal of Kenya’s specialty coffee.
According to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), a single Kuwaiti consignment sold for $2,706.88 (Sh349,728) per 50-kilogramme bag, more than three times the top price recorded in any country a year ago.
This equates to about $54 (Sh6,970) per kilogramme of coffee, allowing farmers to earn roughly Sh160 per kilogramme of cherry.
The Middle Eastern buyer outstripped traditional markets, including the United States at $456 (Sh58,915) per bag, the United Kingdom at $438 (Sh56,590), and Switzerland at $339 (Sh43,800), pointing to a widening gap in international coffee prices.
Although the Kuwaiti order was small, only 120 kilogrammes, it underlines a niche market for small-lot, traceable Kenyan coffee favored by boutique roasters and high-end retailers in emerging markets.
Kuwait joins other newer buyers such as the United Arab Emirates, France, Malaysia, Australia, and Belgium, which together now account for almost 30 percent of Kenya’s direct coffee exports.
Direct sales allow farmers or cooperatives to negotiate terms directly with international or local buyers, bypassing the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE). This system has been praised as a way to boost grower earnings, diversify export markets, and reduce exposure to volatile auction prices.
During the quarter, direct coffee sales increased by 23 percent in volume and 32 percent in value, reaching 553.36 tonnes valued at $4.61 million (Sh595.6 million), even as auctions slowed due to a two-month break.
The average price per 50kg bag under direct sales was $415 (Sh53,618) — about $8.30 (Sh1,072) per kilogramme — a 7 percent increase from the same period last year, reflecting strong global demand and a shift toward private contracts with overseas buyers.
AFA attributes the improved results to greater participation from farmers and expanding market reach, with direct-sale destinations nearly doubling from eight to nineteen within a year.
Central Kenya continued to dominate direct coffee exports, with Nyeri County leading at 47 percent of total sales worth $2.32 million (Sh299.7 million), followed by Embu at 16 percent and Kirinyaga at 15 percent. Counties like Murang’a and Tharaka Nithi did not record any direct sales during the quarter, suggesting uneven adoption of the channel introduced under the Crops (Coffee) Regulations, 2019.
In May, the United States Department of Agriculture projected Kenya’s coffee production to rise by 13.3 percent to 850,000 bags in the current marketing year, up from 750,000 bags previously, signaling renewed optimism for the sector’s growth and export potential.
