By Henry Kinyua
Trading activity at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) surged strongly in Sale 14, held on Tuesday, 20th January 2026, as volumes rose sharply, while premium lots still commanded fierce competition. Official results show that 40,918 bags (2,500,105 kilos) were successfully traded, generating a total value of USD 18,870,048.32 (KES 2,449,809,404.78) at an average price of USD 379.80 per 50kg bag or Ksh 151 per Kg of cherry.
The market reached a maximum price of USD 490, achieved by Lot 6182 -29 bags of Grade AA from Kiairia factory, part of Gititu FCS in Kiambu County, reinforcing Kenya’s continued strength at the top end of the quality spectrum.
Sale 14 vs Sale 13 vs Last Season
Sale 14 came in significantly stronger than Sale 13 last week, which traded 27,788 bags at an average price of USD 401 per bag. That means Sale 14 delivered an additional 13,130 bags—a jump of roughly 47%—although the average price eased by about USD 21.20 per bag, reflecting the heavier supply mix flowing into the market. Compared to Sale 14 in the previous season, which traded 28,956 bags at an average of USD 339 per bag, this season’s Sale 14 was materially stronger. Volumes rose by 11,962 bags (approximately 41%) and the average price increased by USD 40.80 per bag (a 12% rise), signalling a firmer market so far this year.
Who Brought the Coffee
Supply into Sale 14 was driven by a few key brokers, led by Alliance Berries Limited, which once again dominated volumes. Below are the major broker performances by bags traded and average price achieved:
1. Alliance Berries Ltd: 14,651 bags at USD 397.65
2. New KPCU PLC: 6,107 bags at USD 374.17
3. Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage Co. Ltd: 5,461 bags at USD 415.19
4. Kipkelion Broker Company Ltd: 4,454 bags at USD 361.28
5. Minnesota Coffee Marketers Ltd: 2,392 bags at USD 354.60
6. Coffee Estates Bourgeoisie Brokers Ltd (CEBBA): 2,282 bags at USD 352.58
7. Kinya Coffee Marketing Agency Ltd: 2,038 bags at USD 332.67
8. Mt. Elgon Coffee Marketing Agency: 915 bags at USD 358.27
9. Bungoma Union Marketing Agency: 124 bags at USD 363.11
Of note, Kirinyaga Slopes recorded one of the strongest quality-driven performances, averaging USD 415.19 per bag, signalling strong premium coffee throughput in its catalogue mix.
Dealers: Top 5 Buyers Took Over 83% of the Auction
On the demand side, purchases remained highly concentrated, with the top five dealers accounting for more than four-fifths of all coffee traded in Sale 14.
The Top 5 dealers by volume purchased were:
1. Kenyacof Limited: 10,510 bags (25.68%)
2. Taylor Winch (Coffee) Limited: 6,984 bags (17.07%)
3. Ibero Kenya Ltd: 6,810 bags (16.64%)
4. C. Dormans SEZ Ltd: 6,099 bags (14.91%)
5. Sasini (K) Limited: 3,618 bags (8.84%)
Together, these five buyers purchased 34,021 bags, equivalent to 83.14% of the entire auction, showing that a small group of powerful dealers continues to shape demand and price discovery at the NCE.
With 40,918 bags traded worth KES 2.45 billion, Sale 14 confirmed that Nairobi’s coffee auction is in a high-activity phase, driven by stronger deliveries into the exchange. As has been the trend, we expect volumes to continue rising.
