The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has licensed 152 coffee dealers for the 2025/2026 financial year under different categories.
AFA Director General Bruno Linyiru, speaking on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, said the registration process is continuous and open to all qualified applicants.
“Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) wishes to inform the public that registration of coffee dealers in the country is an ongoing process, undertaken continuously within the confines of the law,” Linyiru said.
He explained that during registration, dealers must be gazetted through a Kenya Gazette Notice, which allows the public a 14-day window to submit any objections before a licence is granted.
The 152 licensed dealers include 126 Coffee Buyers, 15 Coffee Warehousemen, and 11 Coffee Agents.
Linyiru emphasized that no company or group of companies has been granted exclusive rights to export coffee.
“AFA follows a transparent licensing procedure whereby applicants are vetted, approved and subsequently gazetted before being duly published to export coffee,” he added.
The Authority warned that exporting coffee without proper licensing and gazettement is against the law.
Kenya’s coffee remains one of the country’s top export products, with earnings hitting about $296.8 million in 2024 and projected to rise by 12% this year.
The main varieties include Arabica, especially SL28 and SL34, which are highly valued in the global market.
Key export destinations are the United States, Germany, Switzerland, South Korea, and increasingly, Asian markets such as China.
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