Kenyan coffee farmers producing high-quality beans in small quantities could gain better access to international buyers under a government-backed plan to establish a Sh100 million testing laboratory at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, with President William Ruto giving officials six months to deliver the facility.
Ruto issued the directive to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutai Kagwe during an Agriculture and Food Security town hall held at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The project is expected to support a new auction system for specialty coffee, including small batches known as micro-lots, which contain fewer than 10 bags.
The proposed laboratory will provide quality analysis services to support the sale of specialty coffee and help the exchange meet internationally recognised standards.
It is part of a wider plan to improve the way premium Kenyan coffee is marketed and connect producers with buyers in both local and overseas markets.
During the meeting, a representative of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange said the existing auction system did not adequately serve the needs of specialty coffee producers. The exchange is therefore preparing a separate auction where small quantities of high-quality coffee can be presented to interested buyers.
The representative said the plan would require a modern auction platform alongside a laboratory operating under internationally recognised ISO-certified standards.
"You remember we had a conversation. Coffee exchange is to implement something we are calling a special auction, which will be for specialty coffees, particularly micro lots that are less than 10 bags," the representative said.
The exchange representative also reminded the President of an earlier commitment of Sh50 million towards the proposed laboratory.
Ruto responded by directing Kagwe to find Sh100 million to ensure the facility becomes a reality, increasing the amount discussed during the earlier engagement.
"Mutai, can you look for 100 million and make that thing a reality?" Ruto said.
The exchange said the laboratory could be established within six months, prompting the President to make that period the official deadline for the project.
"Realistically, we can say in the next six months we should have a lab," the representative said.
Ruto insisted that the countdown would begin immediately, leaving no room for the timeline to be pushed forward to a later date.
"The clock runs from now. So we count six months from today," Ruto said.
He said the project would help specialty coffee producers find buyers beyond Kenya and improve their chances of selling their produce in international markets.
"Six months, Felix. We will have an opportunity for you to sell your specialty coffee globally," Ruto said.
Digital platform to widen access to coffee auctions
The Nairobi Coffee Exchange is also developing an online auction platform that will enable buyers from different parts of the world to purchase coffee through the exchange.
The planned system is expected to make it easier for local and international buyers to participate in Kenyan coffee auctions, regardless of their location.
The special auction will focus on specialty coffee sold in small quantities, giving micro-lots a dedicated market rather than placing them alongside the larger volumes handled through the conventional auction system.
The laboratory is expected to support this arrangement by providing quality analysis in line with internationally recognised standards. This would help the exchange handle specialty coffee through a system designed for the needs of producers and buyers dealing in premium beans.
The plans discussed at the town hall are intended to improve the marketing of specialty coffee and create additional opportunities for farmers to reach international markets.
Coffee payments reach farmers within five days
The meeting also examined the period farmers take to receive proceeds after their coffee has been sold.
The Nairobi Coffee Exchange said payments reach a grower's account within five days of a sale. It explained that the term grower covers individual farmers, cooperatives and associations of coffee producers.
The exchange further noted that farmers working through cooperatives may choose to combine their coffee before it is taken to market. How this is handled depends on the arrangements and procedures adopted by each cooperative.
Some farmers harvest relatively small quantities of ripe red coffee cherries at different times. For these producers, combining their harvests may be a practical way to gather enough coffee for sale.
However, the representative clarified that aggregating produce before a sale is different from waiting for payment after the transaction has been completed. The exchange maintained that the five-day payment period applies once the coffee has been sold.
Ruto said changes in the coffee trading process had also made it easier for farmers to track their produce and establish when it had been sold.
"Today they can follow. They know our coffee was sold today, and after five days," Ruto said.
The laboratory, digital auction platform and proposed specialty coffee auction are expected to work together to improve how Kenyan coffee is tested, marketed and sold. The government and the Nairobi Coffee Exchange now have six months to establish the laboratory under the deadline set by the President.