How to export green coffee from Kenya: licences, auction and direct sales

The 2026 law in brief

The Coffee Act, 2026 (Act No. 8 of 2026) was signed on 13 March 2026 and came into force on 27 March 2026. It sets up the Coffee Board of Kenya, which takes over the coffee roles of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), and a Coffee Research and Training Institute. Licences and permits issued by the AFA before the change are treated as if the Board had issued them, and any reference to the AFA in coffee contracts or other laws is read as a reference to the Board.

Under the Act, Kenyan coffee may be sold through an auction at an exchange, through direct sales, through an international exchange, or by any other method the Cabinet Secretary prescribes.

Who licenses what

Licences cannot be transferred and expire on 30 June every year; renewals can be filed by 1 June. The Act keeps roles apart: the holder of a buyer's licence may not also run a commercial mill, brokerage, roastery, agency or warehouse, and a miller may not also be a buyer, broker, roaster or agent.

Route 1: the auction

The ICO country profile describes the central auction run by the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) as Kenya's main marketing channel, with direct sales as a second window. In the auction route:

1. The grower (a cooperative society or an estate) delivers parchment to a licensed commercial miller, who mills and grades it.
2. The clean coffee is stored in a licensed warehouse and offered for sale by a broker licensed by the Capital Markets Authority.
3. Licensed buyers and roasters receive offer samples (250 g per lot under the NCE Trading Rules, 2024) before the auction and bid in US dollars.
4. The buyer pays into the settlement system; under the Act, auction proceeds must reach the grower's account within 14 days.

Only licensed buyers and roasters trade at the exchange, and buying clean coffee there for export needs a coffee buyer's licence. A foreign roaster or importer without a licence therefore buys through a licensed buyer who bids and ships on its behalf.

Route 2: direct sales

A direct sale is a contract between a registered grower, cooperative society, union, grower-miller or estate and an overseas buyer for the grower's own clean coffee. The Act sets conditions:

• Before the contract is completed, a sample of no more than 250 g goes to an exchange for quality analysis and price discovery; the exchange reports within 14 days. Contracts for future sales are exempt from this step.
• The price must compare favourably with the price at the exchange.
• The grower files annual returns on direct sales with the contract, grade, quantity, price, any certification, quality report, mode of payment and a dispute resolution clause.
• Sales proceeds are settled through the central settlement system run with a coffee exchange.
• A buyer's licence on its own does not authorise direct sales: the direct sales contract must be notified and registered.

For a roaster, a direct sale means you can buy one cooperative's or estate's coffee by name and agree quality and price in advance. The Act lets growers appoint an agent registered with the Board to handle the logistics of overseas direct sales.

Documents needed to ship

Under section 80 of the Act, nobody may export coffee without:

• A phytosanitary certificate from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS).
• Notification and registration of the direct sales contract (for direct sales).
• A certificate of origin and a certificate of quality from the Coffee Board.
• Any other approvals the Board requires, including the movement permit for clean coffee leaving for export.

Samples or parcels of no more than 20 kg do not need a buyer's licence if they meet the other licensing and certification requirements. Buyers in the EU will also need deforestation data from 30 December 2026: see our EUDR guide.

Levy and costs

The Act allows the Cabinet Secretary, by notice in the Kenya Gazette, to impose a coffee development and marketing levy of 2.5% of export value, collected through the settlement system. Check whether it has been gazetted and how it is applied when you price a contract. Milling, brokerage, warehousing and exchange fees are agreed with each service provider.

Checklist for a first shipment

1. Confirm the seller's licence or registration with the Coffee Board of Kenya.
2. Agree grade, screen, moisture, cup profile, quantity, price, Incoterm and payment in a written contract.
3. Approve a pre-shipment sample.
4. Make sure the direct sales contract is registered (direct sales) or the auction lot is invoiced to a licensed buyer.
5. Check the phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin and certificate of quality before you pay against documents.

Kenyan sellers can list lots for free on Coffee Parchment and buyers can browse Kenyan coffee lots. Grades such as AA and AB are explained in our grading guide.