About NCE
The Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) is Kenya’s primary coffee auction platform, serving as the central coffee auction which is the trading floor for Kenyan coffee. The Exchange is mandated by the Government of Kenya to manage the central coffee auction, sample room and oversight the payment of coffee sales proceeds through the Direct Settlement System in the country. The NCE facilitates the sale of Kenya’s high-quality coffee to international buyers, ensuring transparency, fair pricing, and a regulated organized marketplace.
Our role
The Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) serves as the central marketplace for the marketing, trading, pricing and settlement of Kenya’s coffee. We facilitate a transparent auction system where coffee is competitively bidded based on quality and market demand, ensuring fair value for all participants from farmers to international buyers. We uphold internationally recognised quality standards through grading and classification, which directly influence pricing in the global market.
Through the Direct Settlement System (DSS), we derisk the financial environment enabling secure and timely payments between buyers and sellers, supporting efficiency and financial stability across the sector. We also strengthen the industry through capacity building, providing training and support to farmers, cooperatives, and other stakeholders on best practices, quality standards, and market trends. We are committed to support the Government’s Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda that has coffee as a priority value chain by delivering the promise of excellence in price discovery providing the best value for the coffee producers.
Key functions
- •Facilitating structured and transparent coffee auctions in accordance with approved trading rules and standards.
- •Providing a centralized platform for inspection, sampling and presentation of coffee to licensed buyers.
- •Establishing and enforcing membership criteria, including admission, suspension and disciplinary processes for market participants.
- •Regulating the conduct of all trading participants to ensure integrity, fairness and compliance with market rules.
- •Preventing market abuse practices and promoting just and equitable trading principles.
- •Overseeing clearing and settlement processes, including safeguards against default by trading or clearing members.
- •Developing and standardizing tradable instruments, including coffee grades, warehouse receipts and warrants.
- •Monitoring trading activity, maintaining accurate records and publishing market data, reports and price information.
- •Implementing systems for dispute resolution, complaints handling and appeals.
- •Ensuring proper governance, including internal controls, audit mechanisms and reporting obligations to the Capital Markets Authority.
- •Managing fees, charges and revenue structures in a transparent manner. Supporting the development of a robust and regionally competitive coffee market, with due regard to the interests of growers and investors.
Our history & objectives
History of Nairobi Coffee Exchange
Coffee growing was introduced in Kenya by the British around 1900 as a cash crop.
The first coffee auction was inaugurated in September 1935 when the first coffee was auctioned under KCA.
The function of coffee marketing was placed under the Coffee Marketing Board (CMB), which was established under the Coffee Marketing Ordinance No. 6 of 1946. In 1960 the Coffee Industry Ordinance and the Coffee Marketing Ordinance were merged to form the Coffee Ordinance Cap 333.
Following independence from the British in 1963, Kenya organised their coffee industry around a weekly government-run open auction system.
The coffee marketing function has evolved over the years around various legislations. Act 13 of 1971 abolished the CMB and consolidated the function of coffee marketing with the regulatory functions of the CBK. Since then, CBK controlled the industry up to July 2001 when a new Coffee Act was enacted to amend Cap 333 that specified new roles for CBK as an industry regulator.
The Coffee (General) Rules of 2002 gave an association the mandate to manage NCE. In 2006, section 62 of the rules was further amended to specify Kenya Coffee Producers & Traders Association (KCPTA) as managers of the NCE, until July 2013.
Via Legal Notice no. 79 of 2012, the amendment entrenched NCE in coffee law and the Exchange would be managed by an Exchange Management Committee as provided for by the Nairobi Coffee Exchange Trading Rules, 2012.
Presently, the Exchange is in a transition under the management of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange Transition Working Committee, focusing on implementing the Exchange's role in the new regulatory framework.
Mission
To be the preferred national and regional coffee exchange with a global reach.
Vision
A globally respected exchange that elevates Kenyan coffee quality and value.
Values
Transparency, quality assurance, accountability, and fairness.
Value proposition
We provide an effective and efficient price discovery mechanism that is anchored on an independent quality analysis to coffee buyers and sellers so that they can achieve their business goals.
Governance & leadership
NCE operates under a management committee and board-led governance model with representation from key industry stakeholders. The exchange is regulated by the government and overseen by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), which ensures compliance, transparency, and efficiency in coffee trading under the Capital Markets Act.
Meet the board →Our Strategic Plan (2026 - 2030) →Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are targets for global development adopted in September 2015, set to be achieved by 2030. All countries of the world have agreed to work towards achieving these goals.
From Crop to Cup
Quality at every stage