By Henry Kinyua
The Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) reopened trading after the Christmas and New Year recess.
Sale 12 held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, delivered firm prices in the first auction of the year. A total of 24,890 bags of coffee, equivalent to 1.53 million kilogrammes, were successfully traded, generating USD 11.8 million (KSh 1.5billion) in gross value.
Volumes eased from 28,157 bags sold in Sale 11 before the festive break, a typical early-January slowdown as factories resume operations. However, the strength of prices signalled sustained international demand for Kenyan coffee.
Premium Prices Set the Tone
The highest price of the sale, USD 487 per 50kg bag, was achieved by a premium lot of 10 bags of Grade AA from Gititu Farmers Cooperative Society in Kiambu County, underscoring that the premium buyers continue to pay for exceptional quality. Gititu FCS also presented another lot of 20 bags of Grade AA, which fetched a strong USD 467 per 50kg, confirming consistency in cup quality and buyer confidence.
Across all grades, the overall market average price stood at USD 386 per 50 kg, equivalent to Ksh 153 per Kg of cherry gross, providing a solid opening benchmark for the 2026 trading calendar. Grade AA anchored the market with 7,929 bags sold at an average price of USD 420, while AB, the largest volume grade, averaged USD 392, showing demand remained broad-based beyond just top-end coffees.
Brokers: Who Brought Coffee to Market
A total of nine licensed brokers actively traded coffee in Sale 12, reflecting participation from both farmer-linked and privately-owned Brokers:
• Alliance Berries Limited: 9,803 bags, average USD 399
• Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage Company Ltd: 3,252 bags, average USD 398
• New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (New KPCU): 2,924 bags, average USD 382
• Kipkelion Broker Company Ltd: 2,339 bags, average USD 365
• Coffee Estates Bourgeoisie Brokers Agency Ltd (CEBBA): 1,732 bags, average USD 383
• Minnesota Coffee Marketers Limited: 1,554 bags, average USD 369
• KCCE Marketing Agency Ltd: 1,383 bags, average USD 396
• Kinya Coffee Marketing Agency Ltd: 1,116 bags, average USD 346
• United Eastern Kenya Coffee Marketing Co. Ltd: 787 bags, average USD 335
Alliance Berries Limited dominated the catalogue, accounting for nearly four out of every ten bags traded, and achieved prices comfortably above the market average.
Buyers: Market Concentration at the Top
On the demand side, activity remained concentrated, with the top six buyers accounting for about 93 per cent of total volumes traded, underscoring their central role in price discovery:
• Ibero Kenya Ltd: 6,980 bags (28.0%)
• Taylor Winch (Coffee) Ltd: 4,776 bags (19.2%)
• C. Dormans SEZ Ltd: 4,637 bags (18.6%)
• Sasini (K) Ltd: 2,590 bags (10.4%)
• Kenyacof Ltd: 2,276 bags (9.1%)
• Louis Dreyfus Company: 2,021 bags (8.1%)
A Measured but Encouraging Start to 2026
Compared with the stronger volumes seen before the festive break, Sale 12 reflected a normal post-holiday lull. Yet the firmness of prices, particularly the sharp premiums achieved by high-quality AA lots, is a clear testimony that quality is key. As factories clear backlogs and volumes build in subsequent sales, the reopening auction confirms that the Nairobi Coffee Exchange has started 2026 on a solid footing, offering farmers, cooperatives, and estates a cautiously optimistic outlook for the months ahead.
