Nandi: A transformative coffee farming initiative spearheaded by Nandi Woman Representative Cynthia Muge is changing the lives of thousands of women across the county. The programme, dubbed ‘Kahawa na Mama’, is revitalizing the region’s coffee sector while empowering rural women to become financially independent.

According to Kenya News Agency, the ambitious grassroots programme launched shortly after the 2022 general elections is anchored on four transformative pillars: women’s economic empowerment, agricultural revival, grassroots self-reliance, and environmental sustainability. Muge, who rose to prominence as the youngest MCA in 2017 and now serves her first term in Parliament, says the project was inspired by what she saw during her campaign tours, women working tirelessly on farms yet excluded from the financial benefits of cash crops.

‘Most women do the hard labour on farms but have no control over the income. ‘Kahawa na Mama’ changes that by giving them direct ownership of coffee trees, access to training, and connections to markets,’ she said during the launch of the second phase in Maraba primary school in Aldai Sub County.

In its pilot year (2023/2024), the project distributed over 150,000 certified Ruiru 11 and Batian coffee seedlings to 900 women organized into 63 self-help groups. With the second phase launched, an additional 500,000 seedlings were distributed, bringing the total to more than 650,000 seedlings and nearly 4,000 women beneficiaries across the county. The six sub-counties benefitting from the programme include Nandi Hills, Aldai, Mosop, Chesumei, Emgwen, and Tinderet. Nandi Hills leads with the highest number of participants, where over 1,000 women have received seedlings and undergone training.

Groups such as Mogobich Progressive, Kapng’etuny Women, and Kaptis Women in Coffee have not only revived abandoned coffee farms but are also earning steady incomes. Cheboite Women Empowerment Group in Aldai is now intercropping coffee with avocado for extra income; the project is no longer just a pilot, and it’s a movement. ‘This time, the coffee belongs to us. Women are not just planting coffee but we are planting independence, rewriting household power dynamics, and reviving a crop once forgotten,’ said Sarah Jepkurui of Chesumei’s Tulwop Ngetuny group.

The project is already bearing fruit both literally and economically. Women from the pilot groups have started earning income from their first coffee harvests. Some have used the money to pay school fees, invest in livestock, or save through table-banking initiatives. Experts estimate that a one-acre coffee block planted with 600 improved bushes can yield up to KSh 220,000 annually, nearly three times what maize farming earns on the same land. In addition, the programme promotes agroforestry by encouraging the intercropping of coffee with banana plants and shade trees, helping curb soil erosion and boost sustainability.

Each participating group signs a charter that mandates joint registration of coffee bushes between spouses. This move is aimed at securing women’s rights to the crop and promoting shared decision-making in rural households, an approach that is winning praise for advancing gender equity. The programme’s success is attributed to strategic partnerships with national and county institutions. Muge’s office is working with the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the Nandi County Government, and Baraka Agricultural College.

‘We didn’t just give out seedlings,’ she stated. ‘We built nurseries, trained farmers, and involved cooperatives and agronomists to ensure sustainability.’ As the programme grows, so do the challenges. The expected surge in coffee cherry volumes is straining the capacity of local wet mills such as Kapkiyai and Taunet. To address this, Muge is lobbying for new pulping lines and solar driers to process the increasing harvest.

Efforts are also underway to close the extension services gap. With only 28 ward-based agricultural officers certified in modern coffee farming, the programme is funding the training of an additional 60 officers by 2026. Looking ahead, the Women Representative is pursuing international market opportunities for Nandi coffee. Talks are in progress to introduce a women-only microlot brand, ‘Nandi Gold,’ which may debut at the 2026 World of Coffee Expo in Dubai.

As the government explores coffee sector reforms and ways to close gender gaps in agriculture, ‘Kahawa na Mama’ stands out as a promising model for national replication. ‘This is not just about coffee,’ said Muge. ‘It’s about dignity, inclusion, and giving rural women the tools to change their own lives.’ As seedlings root and canopy out, Muge bets that every steaming mug poured in future years will carry not just the aroma of Arabica but the quiet confidence of mothers who finally own the crop they nurture.