Stirring interest in Kenyan coffee

All that Mugo Kanyue needed to see his seven children through school were 500 coffee plants. A peasant farmer in Embu, the plant occupied a prominent place in his heart. But little did he know that one of his daughters would live on coffee, literally .

As if paying homage to the crop, third-born child Loise Wanjira (now Njeru) continued to live off coffee. She worked at coffee related establishments after graduating from the University of Nairobi in 1981.

Three years ago, amid cut-throat intrigues synonymous with the coffee industry, Loise rose through the ranks to become the chief executive officer of the Coffee Board of Kenya.

“It’s true several stakeholders thought the coffee industry was too murky for me to handle. But I proved to them that what was needed was somebody who could take coffee to the next level, policy wise,” she says.

When former Agriculture Minister Kipruto Kirwa gazetted her name as head of the board in 2007, Loise rolled up her sleeves, stretched her feet and vowed to make a difference.

She knew that if she didn’t leave a mark in coffee management, it would not be for lack of a political will.

The board regulates the industry and licences various stakeholders.

With the marketing of coffee being privatised, the board has recently been keen on promotion and value addition.

When Loise leaves the coffee scene, one of her achievements will be the launch of the Kenyan coffee brand, the first initiative to distinctively package the local variety (Arabica) as unique, tasty and authentic.

Loise was at the centre of the brand launch a fortnight ago.

The move, say industry players, has opened a promotional blitz at the international market that will see prices of Kenyan coffee shoot up.

“We shall be selling a special and unique product, and the prices will definitely be better,” she says.

Next Tuesday, Loise and her board will hit the ground in Mombasa with the new brand when they host the East African Fine Coffee Association.

The association is made up of 10 countries and gives both producers and consumers a platform to showcase products and exchange ideas.

Already, some farmers have been licensed to sell their coffee directly to buyers abroad. This has lowered the overheads accruing from middlemen.