Some farmers have not been paid for cherries sold on the Nairobi Coffee Exchange(NCE) as far back as December 2023, despite buyers already having released their cash, raising fresh questions over the ongoing State-driven reforms in the sector.
Farmers sell their cherries at the NCE through their own brokerage companies, after which they are supposed to be paid in US dollars through the Direct Settlement System (DSS). The DSS was introduced last year to streamline payment for coffee farmers and is provided by the Co-operative Bank of Kenya.
