The Coffee (General) Regulations

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority must act through the Coffee Directorate, which must carry out activities to promote, develop and regulate the coffee industry; the Authority must also perform listed functions including licensing, training coordination, enforcing standards, data collection, market promotion, agency linkages, value-addition strategies, use of the National Coffee Kenya Mark of Origin, industry guidelines and regional appellations.

AI-assisted research summary: Licences are issued only if applicants meet schedule requirements and pay fees; licensees must specify premises, comply with the Coffee Industry Code of Practice, submit a letter undertaking to remit returns, and breaching licence terms can lead to suspension or revocation. The Authority must not issue a licence unless conditions for licensing are met.

AI-assisted research summary: Sets the Authority's licence decision powers and related notification, resubmission, appeal, and processing steps.

AI-assisted research summary: Licences issued by the Authority expire on the 30th June each year; license holders may apply for renewal by 1st June preceding the expiry.

AI-assisted research summary: Coffee movement is controlled by county licensing authorities through movement permits; only licensees may be issued permits; coffee must not be moved without an original permit; duplicate copies are not allowed; vessels must meet Kenya Coffee Standards; licensing authority must monitor movements; moving coffee contrary to the rules is an offence.

AI-assisted research summary: Licensees must observe the obligations set out in the Third Schedule.

AI-assisted research summary: Every coffee grower shall register with the County Governments and the Authority for purpose of data collection.

AI-assisted research summary: People who want to engage in the coffee business must apply to the Authority or the County Government using the forms in the First Schedule; coffee dealers must present their issued certificate or licence to an inspector on request; the Authority must keep up-to-date records of registered or licensed persons.

AI-assisted research summary: Buying, selling, processing, storing, exporting or otherwise dealing in coffee requires a current licence issued by the Authority or the respective County Government.

AI-assisted research summary: Section 8 lists licence types (coffee nursery certificate; pulping station licence for certain entities; coffee grower's milling licence for co‑operative societies or grower entities; commercial miller's licence; coffee roasters', warehouseman's, and coffee trader's licences). Licences are subject to conditions prescribed by the issuing authority. Parties to an agreement must apply for licences or, if they already hold them, inform the Authority in writing.

AI-assisted research summary: Holders of a coffee trader's licence (or entities associated with them) must not be licensed as commercial millers or warehousemen; the Authority may revoke any licence held in contravention.

AI-assisted research summary: Growers who plant or uproot coffee must notify the Authority or county government in writing within six months; growers who are cooperative members must notify their co‑operative within three months of area and number of trees; the co‑operative must notify the Authority annually after registering those details.

AI-assisted research summary: Growers who change registered farm or estate details must report those changes to the Authority for record.

AI-assisted research summary: The Cabinet Secretary must develop a coffee industry policy that outlines production, processing and marketing practices to promote modern coffee production and processing technology.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority must promote coffee certification schemes; certification schemes operating in the coffee industry must register with the Authority; certified coffee must be identified and labelled; growers and millers may seek certification; millers must declare and sell certified coffees according to Exchange Guidelines.

AI-assisted research summary: Only the Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization or its authorized agents may issue certified coffee seeds or seedlings; anyone else is prohibited from issuing them, and a person must be registered with the respective county (in consultation with the Authority) to establish or operate a coffee nursery.

AI-assisted research summary: Sets rules for who may mill coffee, where milling can occur, notification and presence of grower, insurance and accounting requirements, Authority powers on allowable milling losses and required records and packaging for sales.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority must set up a seven-member Pricing Committee to propose indicative coffee prices; the Exchange must set aside one day every fortnight for local traders to trade coffee.

AI-assisted research summary: Coffee estates, co-operative societies or other associations may undertake direct sales of clean coffee from a licensed coffee warehouse and must notify the Authority.

AI-assisted research summary: Millers must prepare a sales catalogue in consultation with the Exchange and growers for all coffee transferred to a warehouse under the trading rules referred to in Regulation 22(4); a sales catalogue must contain the particulars in the Fifth Schedule.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority must coordinate coffee stakeholders to hold international promotional events; county governments may mobilize growers for centralized overseas marketing and run promotional activities locally and internationally within the legal framework.

AI-assisted research summary: The section requires licensed warehouses to meet standards and certification, mandates regular inspections by the Authority, prohibits warehousemen from claiming liens, requires warehousemen to insure coffee, and makes operating a warehouse contrary to the regulations an offence.

AI-assisted research summary: Exports of coffee are prohibited for any person unless specific certificates (phytosanitary certificate and certificate of origin or re-export) are presented; certificates of origin and re-export for Kenyan and re-exported coffee must be issued by the Authority; the Authority must authorize and monitor coffee importation.

AI-assisted research summary: Persons who blend Kenyan coffee with coffees produced outside Kenya must not represent the blend as having its origin in Kenya.

AI-assisted research summary: Warehousemen must issue a coffee warrant to purchasers after every sale and upon confirmation of payment, in a form and with details prescribed by the Authority; no person may alter specified trade documents including coffee warrants and warehouse receipts.

AI-assisted research summary: An exemption applies to a sample or a parcel not exceeding twenty kilogrammes in weight.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority's activities include advertising the merits of Kenyan coffee and increasing its sale to expand existing markets and enter new markets, and related matters.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority must set and enforce coffee quality standards, train and examine liquorers, issue certificates to those who pass, require certification applications from prospective liquorers, create county cupping-center guidelines, and may have Quality Assurance officers assess coffee-handling premises; the Authority must also require mills and traders to show engagement of a registered liquorer.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority may appoint inspectors to inspect coffee farms, mills, warehouses and traders; inspectors must collaborate with the county agriculture executive; growers, millers, warehousemen and traders must provide inspectors access and assistance; those actors must not deny entry or obstruct inspections.

AI-assisted research summary: Agents or persons employed by agents are prohibited from removing labels or seals or opening technically sewn or closed packets of coffee, except with a grower's express written authority or for inspection/other reasonable cause.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority must conduct periodic surveillance in coffee-growing counties and specified facilities to assess compliance with coffee industry policy, standards and code of practice.

AI-assisted research summary: If a dispute arises between two or more persons licensed or registered under these Regulations, it may be resolved through arbitration or relevant rules made by the Cabinet Secretary.

AI-assisted research summary: Contravening these Regulations is an offence; if no other penalty is provided, the offender is liable to a fine up to five hundred thousand shillings or imprisonment up to one year, or both.

AI-assisted research summary: The Coffee (General) Rules 2002 are revoked.

AI-assisted research summary: The Authority must set up a mechanism to discharge liabilities within ninety days of operationalization; persons who were agents for a grower immediately before operationalization may apply to the Authority for licensing under the Regulations.