By the 254.ke Newsroom
The Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) raised about Sh1 billion from its Tuesday, October 27, 2026 auction, selling 21,636 bags at an average of USD 294.26 per 50 kg bag, according to a report by Sacco Review. That average is almost identical to the USD 294.46 recorded at the exchange’s late-September sale, but it sits well below the Sh44,503 per bag reported for an auction in early August. As of November 4, 2026, here is how the three sales compare.
How much did the latest Nairobi coffee auction earn?
The October 27 sale brought in USD 7.8 million, which Sacco Review converts at Sh129.88 to the dollar to arrive at roughly Sh1 billion. A total of 21,636 bags weighing 1,333,429 kg were sold. Prices ran from a low of USD 40.00 to a high of USD 398.00 per 50 kg bag.
- Average price: USD 294.26 per 50 kg bag (about Sh38,200 at the Sh129.88 rate cited).
- Top grade AA: 4,360 bags at an average of USD 339.90; the USD 398.00 top price was also recorded in this grade.
- Grade AB: 9,300 bags, the largest volume, at USD 323.36.
- Peaberry (PB): 871 bags at USD 351.09, the highest grade average in the report.
- Lower grades: UG1 at USD 232.15, T at USD 178.77 and UG2 at USD 97.06.
Who is buying Kenyan coffee at the exchange?
Five buyers took about 72 per cent of the volume on offer. Ibero Kenya Ltd led with 4,817 bags, more than a fifth of the total, followed by Kenyacof Ltd (3,340 bags), C. Dorman’s SEZ Ltd (2,748), Louis Dreyfus Company (2,575) and Sasini (K) Limited (2,120). New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union PLC (New KPCU), one of the marketing agents, handled 4,962 bags at an average of USD 291.52, a portfolio of USD 1.7 million.
How do the August, September and October auctions compare?
| Sale reported | Bags sold | Value | Average per 50 kg bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 6, 2026 (KBC/KNA, “Sale 34”) | 18,089 | Ksh 994 million | Ksh 44,503 |
| Week of September 24, 2026 (The Standard) | 16,039 | Sh755 million | USD 294.46 (Sh38,106) |
| October 27, 2026 (Sacco Review, “Sale 04”) | 21,636 | About Sh1 billion (USD 7.8 million) | USD 294.26 |
Read the table with care. Each sale has a different mix of grades, and the three outlets number their sales differently, so the series is not a clean like-for-like run. Still, the pattern is clear: the shilling average per bag fell about 14 per cent between the August and September reports (Sh44,503 to Sh38,106), then held steady in dollar terms into late October. Volumes are what moved the October total. The 21,636 bags sold on October 27 were about 35 per cent more than the 16,039 bags in the September week, which is why the value climbed back to around Sh1 billion without a price recovery.
What does it mean for farmers?
The auction price is not what a farmer is paid. The exchange figure is for milled, graded coffee sold per 50 kg bag, while factories and cooperatives pay members per kilogram of cherry after marketing agents, millers and other costs are deducted. Earlier this year, The Standard reported society payouts ranging from about Sh130 to Sh162 per kilogramme of cherry in parts of Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri and Machakos, and a Machakos cooperative leader said the price had risen from Sh60 to over Sh120 per kilogramme. Those were payouts for earlier sales; the reports reviewed for this article do not say what societies will pay for the coffee now going through the auction.
For more on where the money lands, see our coverage of the top coffee counties and the KTDA tea bonus debt crisis, which shows how deductions can shrink what growers take home. Background on how the auction works is available from the Nairobi Coffee Exchange entry on Wikipedia.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Nairobi Coffee Exchange hold auctions?
Sales are held weekly, usually on Tuesdays. The October 27, 2026 sale was held on a Tuesday, and The Standard described its September report as covering the 40th week of the coffee year.
What is the best-paid coffee grade at the NCE?
In the October 27 sale, peaberry (PB) had the highest grade average at USD 351.09, ahead of AA at USD 339.90 and AB at USD 323.36. The single highest price, USD 398.00, was for AA.
How much is a 50 kg bag of Kenyan coffee worth?
The October 27 average was USD 294.26, about Sh38,200 at the Sh129.88 exchange rate used in the report. Individual lots ranged from USD 40.00 to USD 398.00.
Is the auction price what farmers get?
No. Farmers are paid by their factory or cooperative per kilogramme of cherry, after costs and deductions.
