New KPCU representative Ivy Muruga addressing the Media after donating 30,000 coffee seedlings to Kilalani Farmers Cooperative Society to support increased production in the region. Photo by Andrew Mbuva. 
By Andrew Mbuva
Coffee farmers in Kangundo Sub-county, Machakos County have received a major boost after the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (New KPCU) donated 30,000 coffee seedlings to support increased production in the region.
The seedlings were distributed to members of the Kilalani Farmers Cooperative Society in an initiative aimed at revitalizing coffee farming and expanding acreage under the crop.
Speaking during the distribution exercise at the Kilalani Coffee Factory, New KPCU representative Ivy Muruga said the donation forms part of efforts by the national government, working in collaboration with county governments, to revive the country’s coffee sector.
Muruga noted that Kenya’s coffee production has declined over the years, currently standing at about 50,000 metric tonnes annually. However, the government is targeting to triple output to 150,000 metric tonnes by the 2028/2029 financial year.
“We have brought 30,000 coffee seedlings to Machakos County to help increase coffee production. The national government is working closely with county governments to ensure farmers have the support they need to expand coffee farming and improve yields,” she said.
Machakos County Executive Committee Member (ECM) for Agriculture John Kilonzo said the distribution aligns with the county government’s commitment to strengthening agriculture and enhancing food security.
Kilonzo said the initiative also supports Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s manifesto, which prioritizes agricultural growth under the theme “food on the table and money in the pocket.”
He revealed that since assuming office, the governor has already facilitated the distribution of more than 6,000 coffee seedlings to farmers across the county as part of efforts to revive the once-thriving coffee sector.
“We want to restore coffee farming to the levels it enjoyed in the 1970s and even surpass them. That is why we have put strategies in place to support farmers and increase production,” said Kilonzo.
The county government is also encouraging more young people to venture into coffee farming, not only in cultivation but also in value addition and marketing.
Local farmers welcomed the initiative, saying it will help expand coffee farming and improve livelihoods.
Sharon Mbithe Muoki, a young farmer from Kilalani and a member of Women in Coffee, said the seedlings will greatly benefit youth farmers who are increasingly turning to coffee as a source of income.
“We are grateful to New KPCU for the coffee seedlings. Coffee is a profitable crop and by engaging in coffee farming we will improve our livelihoods and support our families,” she said.
Veteran farmer Nzembi Musau said the seedlings will enable farmers to expand their acreage and replace old or unproductive coffee trees.
Musau noted that many farmers still have land that previously supported coffee but currently lies idle due to the lack of seedlings.
“With these seedlings, some farmers will increase their coffee acreage while others will replant areas where the old coffee trees have died. This will help restore coffee farming in the area,” he said.
The distribution is expected to rejuvenate coffee farming in Kangundo and contribute to the broader national strategy of increasing coffee production and improving farmers’ incomes.
