Kenya is preparing to launch a historic global online coffee auction to overhaul its premium bean trading system amidst plunging auction volumes and rising prices. This move aims to dismantle cartels and ensure better returns for farmers.

• Coffee auction volumes at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) fell from 3.2 thousand metric tonnes in April 2025 to just 0.4 thousand tonnes in May.
• Agriculture and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretaries Mutahi Kagwe and Wycliffe Oparanya confirmed advanced preparations for the digital platform.
• The online auction is part of reforms to triple national coffee output from 50,000 to 150,000 metric tonnes within three years.
• The Direct Settlement System (DSS) ensures farmers receive 80% of proceeds directly, with over 200 cooperatives already joined.
• Kenya plans to push for independent African coffee markets at the upcoming World Food Forum in Rome.