For years, coffee farmers in Kirinyaga toiled under the stranglehold of ruthless cartels, watching their hard-earned harvests fetch meagre returns.
But today, a new dawn is brewing, thanks to sweeping reforms under the Kenya Kwanza administration that have finally broken the grip of middlemen.
In what farmers are calling a long-overdue turnaround, members of Baragwi Coffee Cooperative Society are raking in record earnings, some as high as Ksh 145 per kilogram of cherry, following a government-led crackdown on cartels and the introduction of transparent payment systems.
“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.”
At the heart of this transformation is the Direct Settlement System (DSS), which now ensures farmers are paid directly and promptly, cutting off exploitative brokers who once dominated the trade.
Over the past two years alone, the government has injected Ksh 4.3 billion into Baragwi, Kirinyaga’s largest cooperative, marking an unprecedented investment in the region’s coffee revival.
Of the county’s 75 wet mills, 27 have posted record-breaking payouts, with Gacami Coffee Factory leading at Ksh 145.10 per kilo, followed by Karumandi (Ksh 144.30), Mukure (Ksh 144.25) and Mucagara (Ksh 143.80).
“These kinds of figures were unthinkable just a few years ago,” said Baragwi CEO Cyrus Chomba.
“With the cartels gone and direct market access in place, farmers are finally getting their due.”
The government’s broader Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda has also supported farmers with subsidised fertilisers and pesticides, agronomic training and global marketing linkages.
The reforms are not just boosting incomes, they’re reviving hope.
Farmers who once abandoned their coffee trees are now reinvesting in the crop, driven by the promise of fair returns and restored dignity.
“The coffee sector was on its knees. Now, we’re seeing real progress,” said a cooperative official. “For the first time in a long time, farmers believe in coffee again.”
As Kenya reclaims its status on the world stage as a producer of premium coffee, the farmers of Kirinyaga are leading the charge, one cherry at a time.
