The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), has announced that 152 coffee dealers have been licensed for the 2025/26 season under Kenya’s coffee sector regulations.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 26, AFA Director General Bruno Linyuru said the licensed firms include 126 coffee buyers, 15 warehousemen, and 11 coffee agents.
He stressed that only dealers whose names appear in the Kenya Gazette are recognized as legitimate exporters.
The clarification follows confusion over a gazette notice published on August 22, which appeared to suggest that 10 companies had been granted exclusive rights to roast, package, and export coffee.
Linyuru dismissed those claims, noting that gazettement is simply one step in the licensing process.
“AFA wishes to inform the public that registration of coffee dealers is an ongoing process conducted within the confines of the law. Dealers must be gazetted through a Kenya Gazette Notice, which also allows the public 14 days to raise any objections,” the Authority said.
Under the Crops Act, 2013 and the Coffee Regulations of 2019, all exporters must go through this procedure before they can operate legally. So far, AFA confirmed, 152 dealers have been cleared to participate in the new season.
The Authority also issued a stern warning to individuals or companies trading in coffee without proper authorization, saying they risk legal action.
Meanwhile, AFA confirmed that the 10 firms listed in last week’s gazette notice are still under consideration.
If approved, seven of them will be licensed to import, roast, and package coffee for the export market, while the remaining three will handle direct sales of green coffee to international buyers.
According to the Authority, splitting the licenses this way is meant to encourage specialization and boost efficiency in the sector. Members of the public have been invited to submit any objections within 14 days from the date of gazettement.
