By Henry Kinyua
If coffee auctions were classrooms, Sale 27 would be revision week, fewer students present, but the lessons are sharper and more telling. The auction held on April 21, 2026, reflects a market settling into its late-season rhythm, lower volumes, softer supply, but steady value retention.
A total of 10,848 bags were traded, equivalent to 670,185 kilograms, generating USD 3.66 million (≈ KSh 471 million) in total value. The sale achieved an average price of USD 272.73 per 50-kg bag, translating to about USD 5.45 per kg of clean coffee. Using the standard 6.5:1 conversion ratio, this equates to approximately USD 0.84 per kg of cherry, or about KSh 108 per kg of cherry at an exchange rate of 129.
The auction continued to be shaped by a strong presence of lower grades:
• MH: 2,730 bags at USD 204 avg
• ML: 849 bags at USD 132 avg
• AB: 2,287 bags at USD 355 avg
• AA: 1,810 bags at USD 354 avg
• C: 956 bags at USD 298 avg
Notably, mbuni grades (MH & ML) accounted for approximately 33% of total traded volume, meaning one in every three bags at the auction was mbuni. This continues to weigh on the overall average price despite strong performance from AA and AB grades.
Premium coffees still attracted competitive bidding, with top 5 lots dominated by AA and AB grades:
• Kamoini Factory, Othata FCS in Nyeri, County- AA – USD 398 per bag
• Gaikundo factory, Rumuki FCS in Nyeri County- AA – USD 393
• Gatugi Factory, Othaya FCS Nyeri County- AB – USD 390
• Ichamama Factory, Othaya FCS in Nyeri County-AA – USD 389
• Kiruga Factory, Othaya FCS in Nyeri County-AB – USD 388
These lots were largely absorbed by Crowd Farm Africa Limited and C. Dormans SEZ Ltd.
Sale 27 reinforces a clear late-season pattern:
• Volumes are declining
• Mbuni still makes up a significant share of the market
• But quality coffees continue to command strong premiums
And as the auction bell quiets down, one lesson lingers—in coffee, just like in life, even when the crowd thins out, the best still find their moment to shine.
