The Kerugoya High Court has suspended the government's Direct Settlement System (DSS) for coffee farmer payments until May 20, 2026. This decision came after coffee farmers successfully argued that the system was implemented without proper public participation or parliamentary approval, affecting their ability to save.

• The DSS, introduced in August 2023, aimed to send direct payments to farmers via mobile phones after buyers paid into a central account.
• Judge Edward Muriithi ruled that public participation was violated in 15 coffee-growing counties and highlighted the lack of parliamentary approval.
• Felix Muriithi, National Coffee Cooperative Union chairperson, welcomed the ruling, calling it a "new dawn for coffee production."
• The government's system, spearheaded by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, aimed to eliminate middlemen and cartels through an online platform.