By Robert Mutasi 
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim has announced that his administration has expanded coffee farming by 1,600 acres in the last three years, through a sustained seedling distribution program aimed at transforming agriculture into a key economic pillar for the County of Champions.
The governor said the county has distributed a total of 1.6 million coffee seedlings to farmers across the county in the period, with a strategic plan to scale up the acreage to more than 5,000 acres in the coming years.
Speaking during the distribution of 102,808 coffee seedlings at the Leseru Chief’s Office to beneficiaries drawn from Kamagut, Kiplombe, Kapsaos and Huruma wards, Governor Bii said the program is part of his vision to ensure every household in Uasin Gishu grows coffee as a cash crop.
“In a record three years, I have expanded coffee farming by 1,600 acres across our County of Champions through the distribution of 1.6 million coffee seedlings, with a strategic plan to increase the acreage to over 5,000 acres,” said Bii.
According to the county boss, the county is deliberately shifting from overreliance on maize and wheat to high-value crops such as coffee, which offer better returns and can drive the county’s economy into double-digit growth.
“With a clear vision of having every family in our county grow coffee, we are transforming farming into a key driver of economic growth and working towards growing our people’s economy into double digits,” he added.
During Wednesday’s exercise, the county distributed 102,808 seedlings to farmers in four wards, marking a significant milestone in the county’s coffee revival agenda. The governor revealed that a total of 157,187 seedlings were distributed across Turbo Sub-County alone on the same day.
The coffee revival program, which was launched in 2023, has seen thousands of small-scale farmers benefit from free seedlings, extension services and training on good agricultural practices.
Governor Bii noted that coffee farming had declined in the county over the years due to low prices and lack of support, but his administration is now working to restore Uasin Gishu’s lost glory as a coffee-producing region.
He said the county government is working closely with the national government, the Coffee Research Foundation and cooperative societies to ensure farmers get access to quality seedlings, affordable inputs and reliable markets.
Farmers who received the seedlings lauded the initiative, saying it will diversify their income sources and cushion them from losses associated with maize farming.
“We used to depend only on maize, but with coffee, we will have a crop that earns us money throughout the year. We thank the governor for this support,” said one beneficiary from Kamagut.
The governor assured farmers that the county will continue to provide technical support to ensure the seedlings mature and produce high-quality coffee for both local and international markets.
He added that plans are underway to establish coffee milling and value addition facilities in the county to create jobs for youth and increase earnings for farmers.
Uasin Gishu is traditionally known for maize and wheat farming, but the new focus on coffee is expected to boost household incomes and position the county as a major contributor to Kenya’s coffee exports, which have been on a recovery path in recent years.
Eldoret Leo