President William Ruto has launched a national coffee revival plan, setting out ambitious targets for one of Kenya's key cash crops. The president unveiled the programme in Kianyaga, in Kirinyaga County, on Monday, in a move aimed at lifting both the output of the coffee sector and the incomes of the farmers who depend on it.
At the heart of the plan are two headline goals to be reached by 2028. The government wants to triple national coffee production and to double the raw cherry earnings that farmers receive per kilogram. Together, the targets are meant to put more money in the hands of growers while expanding the overall size of the sector.
A central promise of the plan concerns how quickly farmers are paid. Ruto said that coffee farmers would be paid their dues within five days of delivering their produce to the market. He stressed the point repeatedly, framing the prompt payment not as a request but as a firm requirement for officials involved in the process.
The president also turned to the question of money already owed to growers. He announced that the government would pay an additional 2 billion shillings to coffee farmers as part of a wider effort to settle outstanding sums that have built up over time.
That payment is part of a promise to clear verified historical debts owed to farmers and to cooperative societies. According to the plans set out, the debt owed to coffee farmers stands at around 6.8 billion shillings, and the government says it intends to reduce that figure as the verified claims are settled.
Coffee has long been an important source of income for many Kenyan households, particularly in growing regions such as Kirinyaga. By combining production targets, higher per-kilogram earnings, faster payments and debt clearance, the revival plan seeks to address several of the complaints that farmers have raised about the sector over the years.
The plan now moves from announcement to implementation, where its success will be measured. Farmers and cooperative societies will be watching closely to see whether the promised five-day payments, the additional funds and the debt settlement materialise as set out, and whether the 2028 targets prove achievable.