Kenya’s coffee market has broken new ground after prices at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange surged to an average of KSh 1,025.03 per kilo in September, the highest monthly level on record.
- •The rally crowns an exceptional 2025 for the sector, with the January to September average at KSh 904.42 per kilo, already above every individual monthly price ever recorded before this year.
- •Between January and September 2025, Kenya exported 45,249.88 metric tonnes of coffee valued at KSh 43.36 billion.
- •This export momentum confirms that elevated auction prices are feeding directly into higher foreign-exchange earnings.
April 2025 marked the highest monthly volume on record at 7,950.86 tonnes, while March, April and May posted the strongest value streak at KSh 6.90 billion, KSh 7.82 billion and KSh 7.35 billion respectively.
Export earnings rose to KSh 37.7 billion in the 2023–24 coffee year, and the 2025 monthly data shows the sector running ahead of that pace. Kenya exports about 95% of its coffee, with Europe as the dominant buyer and Gulf markets providing new high-value demand. Roasted-coffee exports remain small but continue to achieve higher unit prices, supporting efforts to widen value addition at origin.
International futures have remained elevated, supported by tighter global stocks and weather-driven supply shortfalls in major origins, helping sustain the shift in Kenya’s pricing environment.
Structural reforms have also reshaped the market. Oversight of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange has been placed under the Capital Markets Authority, while the Direct Settlement System now routes auction proceeds straight to farmer accounts to improve transparency and payouts. Parliament is advancing legislation to consolidate reforms, re-establish the Coffee Board of Kenya and strengthen governance across co-operatives that handle the bulk of smallholder production.
