Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has launched County Coffee Revitalisation Steering Committees as the government intensifies efforts to revive the coffee sector and increase national production threefold by the 2028/2029 financial year.

Oparanya said the committees would play a key role in implementing reforms aimed at strengthening co-operatives, improving governance and providing targeted support to farmers.

In a statement shared on his X account on Monday, July 20, 2026, Oparanya said he had held engagements with Western Region stakeholders at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) before officially launching the committees for the North Rift region.

Government targets higher coffee production

“These engagements reaffirm our commitment to revitalizing Kenya’s coffee sector through stronger cooperatives, improved governance and targeted support for farmers,” Oparanya said.

He said the government was working to increase coffee production from the current 50,000 metric tonnes to 150,000 metric tonnes by the 2028/2029 financial year.

Oparanya urged the newly inaugurated committees to work closely with farmers, co-operatives and other stakeholders to ensure that the reforms translate into tangible benefits for coffee growers.

Ruto promises higher earnings for farmers

The latest interventions come as President William Ruto pushes to improve returns for coffee farmers under the government’s Coffee Revival Programme.

Speaking in Kirinyaga on June 22, 2026, Ruto said the government was working to raise coffee earnings to between Sh250 and Sh300 per kilogramme.

“I called this meeting because we are not there yet. More things are coming. This price, in the near future, God willing, will rise to Ksh250 per kilo to even Ksh300,” Ruto said.

“We have a plan to achieve this.”

The President said farmers were earning as little as Sh50 or Sh60 per kilogramme when his administration took office, but the price had since increased to between Sh120 and Sh158.

“Today we are at Ksh120, Ksh130, Ksh150 and now Ksh158. That is progress, but we are not satisfied,” Ruto said.

Government expands coffee revival plan

Ruto said the government was also distributing improved seedlings, modernising coffee factories and opening up new coffee-growing areas, including parts of the Rift Valley.

He further said efforts were underway to reduce the cost of production through cheaper fertiliser and agrochemicals.

The government has allocated Sh18 billion in the 2026 Budget to sustain subsidised fertiliser prices as part of measures to support farmers and boost agricultural productivity.

The formation of the county steering committees is expected to strengthen the implementation of the coffee revitalisation programme as the government seeks to expand production, improve farmer earnings and restore the sector’s contribution to the economy.