By S, KNA
In the year 2023, the Nandi County Woman Representative, Cynthia Muge, launched the Mama na Kahawa programme, a bold initiative designed to revive coffee farming and empower rural women across the county.
Two years later, the results of that effort are beginning to bear fruit. More than 650,000 coffee seedlings have been distributed to women farmers, and many of the beneficiaries have now started harvesting their first ripe berries.
The programme, whose name translates to “Women and Coffee,” began as a modest pilot targeting 900 women grouped into 63 self-help groups. Each group received improved coffee varieties such as Ruiru 11 and Batian, along with agronomic training and access to extension services. Its success quickly spread across the region, prompting the distribution of an additional 500,000 seedlings in the second phase.
Today, nearly 4,000 women from all six sub-counties including Nandi Hills, Aldai, Mosop, Chesumei, Emgwen, and Tinderet are active coffee growers.
For many of these women, coffee has become more than just a crop. It represents financial independence and a new sense of dignity. In the rolling highlands of Nandi, groups of women can now be seen tending to their thriving coffee bushes, proud owners of a crop that for decades had been dominated by men.
Mary Jepkemoi from Mosop is among those already harvesting her first berries. “I used to depend entirely on my husband for money,” she said, as she sorted red cherries into a basin. “Now I can sell my coffee and pay my children’s school fees myself. It feels good to know I have something of my own.”
Another farmer, Sarah Jepkurui of the Tulwop Ngetuny Women’s Group in Aldai, spoke about how the project has changed family dynamics. “Before, we did most of the work on the farms, but when the money came, we never saw it. With Mama na Kahawa, the trees are registered under both our names. My husband respects that, and we plan together. It has brought peace in our home,” she said.
The initiative has introduced a joint-ownership policy that ensures both spouses are registered as owners of coffee plants, giving women a secure stake in the crop. This has encouraged shared decision-making in households and helped to strengthen family relations.
Economically, the impact has been significant. Coffee farming, which had almost disappeared from Nandi, is making a strong comeback. Agricultural officers estimate that a one-acre plot under the new varieties can generate up to Sh 220,000 annually—nearly three times the income from maize on the same land.
The programme has also led to the formation of women’s cooperatives, which are working together to process and market their coffee, helping farmers to fetch better prices and reduce reliance on middlemen.
The ripple effects are visible across the county. Increased production has created demand for pulping machines, drying beds, and transport services, providing jobs for youth and local artisans. With women now earning from coffee, households have more money to spend on food, education, and health, injecting new life into rural economies.
Farmers have also adopted environmentally friendly practices. Many are intercropping coffee with bananas and shade trees, which helps retain soil moisture and reduce erosion on Nandi’s steep slopes. Land that had once been idle or overused is being restored and made productive again.
However, the rapid growth of the sector has created new challenges. Local processing plants are struggling to keep up with the increasing volume of cherries, and the county government plans to train more agricultural officers to support the expanding number of farmers.
There are also efforts to connect women growers to high-value export markets through a proposed women-led brand known as “Nandi Gold,” which will showcase the county’s coffee internationally.
Reflecting on the journey, Muge said the programme was never just about coffee farming but about restoring dignity and economic confidence among rural women.
“We wanted to show that when women are given the right tools, they can change their lives and their communities,” she said.
“Seeing these women harvest their own coffee for the first time and knowing they own it, tells me that change is truly happening,” she noted.