AFA licenses 152 coffee dealers for 2025/26 financial year

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has confirmed that a total of 152 coffee dealers have been officially licensed during the 2025/26 financial year in a bid to reinforce transparency and compliance in Kenya’s coffee export sector.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the Authority revealed that the licensed dealers comprise 126 coffee buyers, 15 coffee warehousemen, and 11 coffee agents, all of whom have been vetted and gazetted in accordance with the law.

You might also like

411

Govt halts harvesting and trade of Macadamia until February 2026

411

NACADA moves alcohol licensing to digital platform to boost transparency

411

 Kagwe launches rebranded 4-K Agriculture clubs

AFA emphasised that the licensing process is continuous and strictly follows the provisions of the Crops Act, 2013, and the Crops (Coffee) (General) Regulations, 2019.

“The Crops Act, 2013, and the Crops (Coffee) (General) Regulations, 2019, requires all persons or entities intending to export coffee from Kenya be licensed and gazetted through a Kenya Gazette Notice. To date, AFA has licensed 152 coffee dealers under various categories during the financial year 2025/26 as follows: Coffee Buyers: 126, Coffee Warehousemen: 15, Coffee Agents: 11,” the statement read.

The Authority further clarified that all exporters must be formally licensed and gazetted through the Kenya Gazette, which allows a 14-day public objection period before any licence is granted.

Only dealers whose names appear in the Kenya Gazette are recognised as legitimate exporters, and anyone engaging in coffee exports without proper licensing will face legal action.

“Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) wishes to inform the public that registration of coffee dealers in the country is an ongoing process, undertaken continuously within the confines of the law. During the registration process, dealers must be gazetted through a Kenya Gazette Notice which also gives the public 14-days period to submit any objection of grant of license,” the AFA statement read in part.

AFA also highlighted that no single company or group of companies has exclusive rights to export coffee, underlining the transparent and competitive nature of the licensing process.

The Authority urged stakeholders to rely only on official communications issued via the Kenya Gazette, the AFA website, and authorised press releases for accurate information.

“The Authority, therefore, wishes to emphasize the following: No single company or group of companies has been/will be given exclusive rights to export coffee. AFA follows a transparent licensing procedure whereby applicants are vetted, approved and subsequently gazetted before being authorized to export coffee. Only those exporters whose names have been duly published in the Kenya Gazette are recognized as legitimate exporters.”

Dr Bruno Linyiru, Director General of AFA, stressed that the licensing process ensures that Kenya’s coffee industry remains regulated and compliant, protecting both the interests of dealers and the integrity of the sector.

“Any person or entity engaging in coffee exports without proper licensing and gazettement shall be in violation of the law and will face appropriate legal action. The Crops (Coffee) (General) Regulations, 2019, Regulation 7, 8, 9 and 10, outline the registration and licensing procedure as well as the licenses issued by both the Authority and the County Governments.”