Nyandarua County is positioning itself to re-enter Kenya’s coffee value chain, launching a sensitisation and farmer-training campaign at a time when global coffee prices have strengthened on tight supply and rising demand for specialty-grade beans.
Governor Kiarie Badilisha said the awareness drive, which is expected to begin by the end of November, forms part of a broader agricultural diversification strategy aimed at reducing the region’s reliance on potatoes. The county government is seeking to encourage farmers to gradually shift acreage towards perennial high-value crops that promise steadier margins and improved resilience against price and climate shocks.
The renewed attention on coffee comes amid firming prices on both local and international markets. Arabica futures have hovered close to their highest levels in more than a year, supported by weather disruptions in Brazil and Colombia, while Kenya’s specialty coffee auctions have recorded stronger bids from international roasters seeking traceable, smallholder-origin lots. Some washed AA grades have recently fetched prices well above the average of the past three seasons, helping to restore optimism in a sector long affected by governance disputes and declining yields.
Speaking during a visit to a coffee farm in Matumi Village, Githioro Ward in Kipipiri Sub-county, Mr Badilisha said Nyandarua’s climate and soils—better known for potato and vegetable production—are increasingly being reassessed for coffee, apples, avocados and pyrethrum, all of which have shown potential to deliver higher returns.
“Nyandarua must not remain a single-crop county,” Mr Badilisha said during the tour hosted by farmer Solomon Njenga. “Our administration is investing in research, seedling access, farmer field schools and market linkages. The goal is to build reliable revenue streams and re-anchor Nyandarua as a competitive agricultural producer.”
County officials say the sensitisation programme will include on-farm demonstrations, training on crop husbandry and cooperative governance, and support in forming producer groups to negotiate better prices from millers and exporters. The county is also exploring partnerships with coffee estates in neighboring Nakuru and Nyeri to accelerate knowledge transfer and access to pulping and processing facilities.
Githioro Ward MCA Isaac Mbae said the County Assembly would back the diversification drive, adding that potato yields in the region have shown signs of pressure from soil fatigue, disease cycles and increased input costs. “Farmers are looking for alternatives that can stabilise household incomes. Coffee is emerging as one of those options,” he said.
Mr Njenga, who has inter-cropped coffee with fruit trees for several seasons, said patience is required but the returns are encouraging. “It is not a quick crop, but once established, it supports long-term income,” he said.
If widely adopted, the shift could reposition Nyandarua to benefit from the current premium on high-altitude, smallholder-grown coffees — potentially increasing farmer incomes and strengthening the county’s agricultural resilience.
