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Kenya
Gachagua's coffee sector reforms challenge dominance of foreign traders

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“East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector”

East Africa

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

An important source of foreign currency, coffee exports are the subject of a power struggle between multinational trading companies and the region's coffee-producing countries, chief among which are Ethiopia and Kenya. While governments try to impose reforms designed to favour local producers and intermediaries, international traders, notably German and Swiss, seek to maintain their dominant position. Fuelling the stand-off are new European Union directives on traceability and the social and environmental impact of agricultural products, which will have major repercussions across the entire sector. [...]

Kenya's deputy president is determined to reform the coffee sector and improve the situation of local traders in relation to foreign heavyweights. [...]

Published on 03.02.2023 at 06:00 GMT Reading time 2 minutes

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Commodity traders

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Agriculture and Food Authority
Capital Markets Authority
Ecom Agroindustrial Corp
Gicheha Farms
Ibero Kenya
Nairobi Coffee Exchange
National Coffee Cooperative Union
Neumann Kaffee Gruppe
NKG Coffee Mills
Rigathi Gachagua
Sangana Commodities (K
Sustainable Management Services
Tropical Farm Management Kenya
Uhuru Kenyatta
William Ruto

Kenya
Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

The US mega-chain has decided not to buy its coffee directly from Kenyan producers. This is unwelcome news for the country's deputy president, who has been tussling with multinational traders and is now trying to smooth things over.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Politics 21.11.2023

Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Bogota, Colombia, on 12 September 2023.

Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

The deputy president, who has embarked on an ambitious reform of the coffee industry, has set his sights on major traders. But with sales on the Nairobi Coffee Exchange plummeting, the main players targeted have no intention of rolling over.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Politics 09.10.2023

Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Kenya
Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's zealous coffee reforms, aimed at giving Kenyan firms a larger share of the spoils, have hit multinationals like Neumann Kaffee Gruppe hard. They are also part of the government's attack on the interests of ex-president Kenyatta.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 18.09.2023

Samples of coffee beans sit at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange on 11 June 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

Rigathi Gachagua, who has been tasked with revitalising Kenya's coffee industry, has dismissed a number of experts and officials in the sector. He is also using his open war on multinational trading companies to try to consolidate his political base.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 29.08.2023

Rigathi Gachagua (left) and William Ruto, 30 June 2022.

Kenya
By targeting foreign traders, deputy president alienates part of coffee industry

Rigathi Gachagua wants to get the multinationals out of the trading business and to encourage the development of national traders. But the three market leaders have made themselves indispensable to financing the sector.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 28.06.2023

Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Kenya
Ruto steps up support for Sagana industrial park

The flagship project of governor Anne Waiguru, a key ally of William Ruto, is attracting growing investor interest and is becoming a priority for the president's first term in office.

Subscribers only Infrastructure, Politics 02.03.2023

Kenya
Gachagua seeks to revive glory days of Kenya's coffee sector

Kenya's deputy president has been tasked with overhauling the coffee sector, which is vital to the economy of his native region. He wants to create new institutions to revive a once highly lucrative crop that has been in a slump for decades.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 27.01.2023

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua aims to reign over Mount Kenya

By uniting his allies from Kenya's central region, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua aims to establish his own political fiefdom. His plans have raised concerns, however, among some of President Ruto's allies, who fear he is trying to go solo.

Subscribers only Politics 18.01.2023

Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at his swearing-in ceremony in Nairobi last September.

Kenya
Ruto retains Kenyatta's coffee task force

The team put in place by the previous administration to reform the coffee sector has managed to survive the post-election transition, thanks in large part to the intervention of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Subscribers only Politics 30.11.2022

Kenya
Kenyatta fails to deliver key coffee sector reform

Kenya's coffee sector, once the flagship of national agriculture, is in trouble. The president's plans to reform it have been undermined by tension between the agriculture ministry, the senate and the national assembly, and will probably not happen before he leaves office.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Politics 05.07.2022

Employees process coffee at the Central Kenya Coffee Mill near Nyeri, Kenya.

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Agriculture and Food Authority
Capital Markets Authority
Ecom Agroindustrial Corp
Gicheha Farms
Ibero Kenya
Nairobi Coffee Exchange
National Coffee Cooperative Union
Neumann Kaffee Gruppe
NKG Coffee Mills
Rigathi Gachagua
Sangana Commodities (K
Sustainable Management Services
Tropical Farm Management Kenya
Uhuru Kenyatta
William Ruto

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Kenya
Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

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Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

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Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

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Indigo Publications' websites

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Kenya Gachagua's coffee sector reforms challenge dominance of foreign traders

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

This article may be accessed by subscribers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

create a free account

Set up email notifications for these topics

Kenya Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

Kenya Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

Kenya Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Kenya Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

Kenya By targeting foreign traders, deputy president alienates part of coffee industry

Kenya Ruto steps up support for Sagana industrial park

Kenya Gachagua seeks to revive glory days of Kenya's coffee sector

Kenya Deputy President Gachagua aims to reign over Mount Kenya

Kenya Ruto retains Kenyatta's coffee task force

Kenya Kenyatta fails to deliver key coffee sector reform

Set up email notifications for these topics

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Algeria
The fall of Algeria's powerful Sonatrach boss, Toufik Hakkar

DRC, Kenya
Ruto's great expectations frustrated by Kinshasa

Kenya
Gachagua's coffee sector reforms challenge dominance of foreign traders

Kenya
Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

Kenya
Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

Kenya
By targeting foreign traders, deputy president alienates part of coffee industry

Kenya
Ruto steps up support for Sagana industrial park

Kenya
Gachagua seeks to revive glory days of Kenya's coffee sector

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua aims to reign over Mount Kenya

Kenya
Ruto retains Kenyatta's coffee task force

Kenya
Kenyatta fails to deliver key coffee sector reform