The County Government of Kirinyaga is building a modern coffee warehouse in Kimicha, aimed at improving earnings and storage for over 120,000 coffee farmers.

The facility, being set up at the Kirinyaga County Cooperative Union premises along the Kutus-Kagio highway, will accommodate up to 40,000 bags of parchment coffee and will feature modern aeration systems to preserve quality before milling.

Governor Anne Waiguru said the warehouse is central to her administration’s goal of empowering farmers through enhanced production, value addition, and direct market access.

“Once complete, this warehouse will enable us to store and mill coffee from all over the county at our facility. My administration remains committed to making favourable policies that will strengthen coffee farming and ensure our farmers get value for their produce,” Waiguru said.

She added that the county’s investment in the coffee sector had already borne fruit, with some cooperatives paying as much as Sh149 per kilo in the last season.

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The warehouse is part of the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, which seeks to commercialise smallholder farming by improving infrastructure and market access.

Geoffrey Kinyua, chairman of the Kirinyaga County Cooperative Union, said the county’s coffee output, 42,000 tonnes last year, is expected to rise to 60,000 tonnes, surpassing the capacity of the current warehouse.

“We produced around 42,000 tonnes of cherry last year and we expect to reach 60,000 tonnes soon which the old warehouse couldn’t handle,” he said.

He confirmed the new facility is 40 per cent complete and due for completion by year-end.

Patrick Kahonge, the Mill Manager at Kirinyaga Slopes, explained that the 22 by 50 metre warehouse will address a major gap in storage.

“This warehouse measures 22 by 50 meters and is equipped to hold 40,000 bags of parchment coffee. The inclusion of cyclones ensures proper aeration, which is essential for maintaining coffee quality before milling,” he said.

He said the inclusion of aeration cyclones will help maintain coffee quality.

Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage Company, the union’s marketing arm, was licensed in 2023 with the governor’s support.

It currently serves 14 cooperative societies across the county and has emerged as one of the leading brokers at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange.