Data from the Kenya Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) for the September quarter shows that Rwanda accounted for 43% of Kenya's total coffee imports, reflecting growing confidence in the quality of Rwandan coffee beans.
Meanwhile, Uganda's coffee exports to Kenya fell sharply; despite higher unit prices, export value dropped from US$1.13 million (KSh145.79 million) to US$480,000 (KSh61.92 million) over the same period. Market analysts attribute this shift to changing demand patterns, with Kenyan roasters increasingly favoring specialty coffee with traceable origins—an area Rwanda has consistently invested in over the past two decades.
Although import volumes dipped slightly by 2.9%, Kenya's total coffee import value still rose 11.8% to US$1.64 million (KSh212.13 million). These figures indicate that Kenya's coffee consumption is shifting from bulk coffee to high-value beans, benefiting producers able to meet stringent quality and sustainability standards.
For Rwanda, gains in the Kenyan market align with the country's overall coffee export performance.
According to the Rwanda National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), Rwanda exports 20,000 to 23,000 tonnes of coffee annually, generating US$90 million to US$100 million in foreign exchange earnings.
Coffee remains one of Rwanda's most important agricultural exports and a primary source of income for more than 400,000 smallholder farmers nationwide.
Rwanda's success is largely due to investments in coffee washing stations, farmer cooperatives, and quality control systems that emphasize fully washed Arabica coffee for the specialty market.
These efforts have helped Rwandan coffee gain a competitive edge in regional markets such as Kenya, while also strengthening its presence in high-value destinations across Europe, Asia, and North America.
Although Kenya is itself a major coffee producer, it continues to import coffee, mainly for blending, roasting, and re-export.
On the export side, Kenyan coffee sold directly abroad continues to command high prices, with Singapore and Hungary recording the highest average prices.
Singapore in particular paid about KSh72,242.66 (US$560) per 50-kg bag, underscoring sustained global demand for premium East African coffee.
Rwanda's emergence as Kenya's largest coffee supplier highlights the impact of long-term value addition and quality-focused policies on strengthening the country's agricultural exports.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
