Rwanda has surpassed Uganda to become the biggest supplier of coffee to Kenya, marking a shift in consumer preference for imported specialty variants of the beverage.
Rwanda produces Arabica coffee, primarily the Bourbon variety, which it grows in high altitude zones with volcanic soils, including Huye, Nyamgambe, Nyaruguru, Gakenke, Rulindo, Akagera, Rutsiro, and Risizi, among others. Uganda primarily grows the Robusta variety of coffee.
Data by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) shows that in the quarter to September 2025, Rwanda emerged as the leading supplier of coffee to Kenya, accounting for 43 percent of the total value of shipments and displacing Uganda from the top position.
Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group
“Uganda followed with 37 percent; however, its export value to Kenya saw a decline from $1.13 million (Sh145.79million) to $ 0.48 million (Sh61.92million),” the regulator said.
“This suggests a significant reduction in trade volume, even amid higher per-unit costs. Tanzania ranked third with 13 percent, while Congo (DRC), Portugal, and Italy maintained marginal shares.”
In the quarter under review, the total volume of coffee imported into Kenya decreased slightly by 2.9 percent from 248,931 kilogrammes(Kg) in 2024/2025 to 241,807 Kg, while the total value of those imports increased significantly by 11.8 percent from $1,470,505 (Sh189.72million) in 2024/2025 to $ 1,644,203 (Sh212.13million).
“This indicates a substantial rise in the average cost per kilogramme of coffee imported,” AFA said.
Kenya also grows coffee and is a big supplier to premium international markets. For example, in the quarter to September 2025, Singapore and Hungary paid the highest average price for Kenyan coffee directly sold to buyers abroad, consolidating a shift to newer markets for the commodity.
The bulk of Kenya’s coffee is sold through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE), even though farmers have a window to sell it directly to buyers abroad.
Data by AFA showed that direct coffee sales for the July-September 2025/2026 period were heavily concentrated in two key markets, with the United Kingdom solidifying its dominance by accounting for 67.18 percent of all sales, while Switzerland remained the second-largest buyer with a 26.41 percent share.
However, there was a noteworthy shift in the quarter compared to the previous years, as premium markets and new destinations showed bigger demand.
“The market portfolio also evolved, depicting a strategic shift from a broader list of European and Asian buyers to new, high-value destinations like the United Arab Emirates and Russia, alongside premium-paying niche markets such as Singapore and Hungary, which paid the highest prices on the list,” AFA said.
Coffee farmers dry coffee parchment at Miteta Village in Laikipia County on July 22, 2025.
Photo credit: Joseph Kanyi | Nation Media Group
“This trend demonstrates a successful consolidation with core partners and an expansion into new markets that value quality, collectively driving the overall average price significantly higher,” it added.
Data showed that in the quarter to September 2025, Singapore topped the average price list with Sh72242.66($560) per 50-kilogramme bag, followed by Hungary’s Sh67556.69 ($523.72). The purchase volumes by the two markets were, however, at 1,080kg and 1,785 kg, respectively.
The UK market remained the biggest buyer of Kenyan coffee under the direct sales window, taking up 516,152kg and achieving a remarkable 77 percent increase in its average price to Sh62419.27($483.90) per bag, while Switzerland remained the second-largest buyer with a 26.41 percent share.
