Wavinya Ndeti: Machakos County Invests KSh72 Million to Revive Coffee Sector
- Machakos County has invested over KSh 72 million to revive coffee farming in key production areas
- Coffee farmers in the county now earn KSh 100 per kilogram of coffee, up from as low as KSh 20 per kg
- According to Governor Wavinya Ndeti, the initiative includes training, farm input support, and long-term sustainability plans
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In a bold move to rekindle the fortunes of Machakos County’s nearly dormant coffee industry, Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s administration has committed over Sh72 million in development funds toward supporting local coffee farmers.
Source: Facebook
The initiative, launched in 2023, marks a pivotal moment for smallholders in regions such as Kangundo, Kathiani, Matungulu, and Machakos town.
Under the programme, coffee growers now receive approximately KSh 100 per kilogram of cherries, a marked improvement from the long-prevailing rates of KSh 40 or KSh 20 in previous years.
For small-scale producers harvesting several hundred kilograms per season, this shift translates into tangible earnings—enough to deliver meaningful returns on their investment in seedlings, labour, and transport.
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Capacity Building and Training
Beyond direct financial transfers, Machakos County’s strategy emphasises the empowerment of rural coffee growers through technical capacity-building and extension services.
Agricultural extension officers have been reintroduced across the region to deliver training in modern agronomic practices, soil testing, pest management, and proper cherry handling. This addresses longstanding gaps in farm productivity and quality control.
To complement income stability and training, the county has facilitated the distribution of farm inputs—fertilisers, agrochemicals, and lime—and provided infrastructure support to cooperatives.
Key beneficiaries like Mukuyuni and Kakuyuni Cooperative Societies have received grants of Sh28 million and Sh16 million respectively, enabling upgrades such as metallic drying beds, solar-powered pulping equipment, hulling machines, and lighting systems.
The county also pledged around 80 more extension officers to monitor progress and support farmers at the grassroots level.
At the national level, Machakos County advocates strongly for inclusion in the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund, launched in early 2024.
This framework guarantees farmers a combined Sh80 per kilo payment—Sh40 on delivery at the factory and another Sh40 at the mill—paid within a month and offered as a non-loan push from the government
Governor Ndeti also urged for a debt waiver for cooperative societies—machineries struggling under legacy loans—and opposed proposals to tax coffee farmers, citing the high input costs they face
What Farmers Stand to Gain
- Guaranteed minimum price per kilo, boosting farm-level profitability
- Input subsidies and grants, reducing the financial burden of planting and maintenance
- Skill transfer and extension services, enabling improved productivity and quality
- Infrastructure investments, from drying beds to cooperative equipment
- Market access reforms, including licensing to reduce middlemen exploitation
Governor Ndeti confidently projects that with this level of support—financial, technical, and institutional—the future of coffee farming in Machakos is secure. Her administration views the initiative not as a temporary boost but as a long-term turnaround of the coffee value chain, from seedling and soil testing to cooperative governance and market access.
Moving forward, key priorities will include auditing cooperative societies, refurbishing factories like the Lower Eastern Coffee Milling (LECOM) plant in Kangundo, and ensuring farmer representation with integrity in cooperative leadership.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
