Kenya Appoints Njeru Ndwiga as Coffee Board Chairperson
The appointments establish new leadership for coffee regulation and research as Kenya seeks to increase production from a projected 60,000 tonnes to 150,000 tonnes.
KENYA – Kenya has appointed Njeru Peter Ndwiga as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Coffee Board of Kenya for a three-year term, effective October 30, 2026.
President William Ruto made the appointment through Gazette Notice No. 16957, pursuant to Section 7(1)(a) of the Coffee Act, 2026. The notice also revoked the earlier appointment of Henry Gihuhi Kinyua, published in Gazette Notice No. 14143 on September 4, 2026.
Ndwiga, a former Cabinet minister and Embu Senator, brings experience in public service and the coffee industry. During his Senate tenure, he served on the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. He has also been associated with reforms aimed at improving farmers’ earnings and strengthening cooperative coffee marketing.
Henry Kinyua to lead Research Council
Meanwhile, Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has appointed Kinyua as Non-Executive Chairperson of the Council of the Coffee Research and Training Institute of Kenya for three years, effective October 30.
Kinyua previously served as Nyeri County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture and headed the Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (KPCU). His experience also covers agricultural policy, value chain development and international development programmes.
The appointments follow the establishment of two institutions under the Coffee Act, 2026. The Coffee Board of Kenya is responsible for regulating, marketing and promoting Kenyan coffee, while the Coffee Research and Training Institute, overseen by a Council, will focus on research, breeding, planting materials and farmer training.
The leadership changes come as Kenya seeks to develop and distribute improved coffee varieties to increase production, strengthen farm productivity and help growers adapt to climate change.
In an earlier statement, Kinyua said researchers had already developed improved coffee varieties, but inadequate funding had delayed their release to farmers.
He said investment would accelerate research into varieties capable of withstanding rising temperatures and other climate-related challenges. Kinyua added that the Coffee Act, 2026, provides for research and training funding, while establishing the institute as a standalone agency could improve resource mobilisation.
Kenya is targeting annual coffee production of 150,000 metric tonnes, although output is projected at 60,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 season.
Kinyua said production could increase through improved productivity on existing farms and the expansion of coffee cultivation into suitable growing areas.
The new institutions are expected to support the government’s production ambitions through stronger research, farmer training and sector regulation.
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