Coffee farmers in Kirinyaga County labored under an exploitative system dominated by cartels and middlemen, who reaped the lion’s share of profits while farmers struggled with meagre returns. However, a wave of transformative reforms under the Kenya Kwanza administration has brought hope and prosperity back to the region’s coffee sector.
At the core of this turnaround is the Direct Settlement System (DSS), a new payment structure that ensures farmers are paid directly and promptly for their produce. This has effectively cut out exploitative brokers, allowing farmers to reap the full benefits of their hard work. The DSS, combined with a government crackdown on cartels, has ushered in a new era of transparency and accountability in the coffee trade.
The impact is already visible. In Kirinyaga’s Baragwi Coffee Cooperative Society the largest in the county farmers are enjoying record earnings, with some receiving up to Ksh 145.10 per kilogram of cherry. This marks a dramatic shift from the past, where payouts were often irregular and paltry.
“This is the best payout we’ve seen in decades,” said Joseph Gichoya, a retired teacher turned coffee farmer. “The reforms have brought real change. Cartels no longer dictate our prices.”
Over the past two years, the government has injected Ksh 4.3 billion into the Baragwi Cooperative, signaling an unprecedented commitment to reviving Kenya’s coffee industry. Of the county’s 75 wet mills, 27 have posted historic payout rates. Gacami Coffee Factory leads with Ksh 145.10 per kilo, followed closely by Karumandi (Ksh 144.30), Mukure (Ksh 144.25), and Mucagara (Ksh 143.80).
Baragwi CEO Cyrus Chomba praised the reforms, noting that such returns were previously unimaginable. “These kinds of figures were unthinkable just a few years ago,” he said.
With reforms firmly in place and farmer confidence on the rise, Kirinyaga County is now a glowing example of what is possible when transparency replaces exploitation in agricultural value chains.
