Bungoma targets China for coffee export, agro-processing investment

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka after meeting Chinese investors in Nairobi on 19th June 2025. [@SpeakerKLusaka, X]

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has unveiled ambitious plans to partner with Chinese investors on coffee exports and agro-processing for the upcoming industrial park at Sang'alo.

Speaking during a consultative meeting held in Nairobi where Governor Lusaka met with Chinese investors and key players in the coffee market from Fuzhou Province to explore and foster economic cooperation.

The talks centered on three key pillars: expanding Bungoma's coffee export capacity to the Chinese market, attracting Chinese investment in the county's upcoming agro-industrial park infrastructure, and partnering with local investors in value chain processing.

"Bungoma has immense untapped potential in agriculture, particularly in coffee farming and agro-processing," said Governor Lusaka.

"We are now actively opening international doors to ensure that our farmers benefit directly from global demand, especially from a robust market like China."

China, the world's most populous nation, has shown a growing appetite for Kenyan coffee, particularly among its middle class.

By tapping into this expanding market, Bungoma aims to secure better prices and stable demand for its coffee farmers, who have often faced challenges such as price volatility and limited access to export platforms.

According to Governor Lusaka, the industrial park at Sang'alo, which is nearing completion, will serve as a hub for value addition, packaging, and export of agricultural produce, especially coffee, maize, and sugarcane, which are staple crops in the region, and also aims to boost household incomes for farmers in the county.

In addition to trade, Governor Lusaka pitched Bungoma's strategic location as ideal for infrastructure development, particularly the proposed Rironi-Mau Summit-Malaba dual carriageway, and thanked China for its financial investment, which will ease transportation and enhance regional connectivity.

The partnership aligns with Kenya's broader economic diplomacy strategy, which prioritizes trade and investment relationships with emerging economies like China.