CMA grants Coffee Broker Licenses and approves Direct Settlement System Provider for the Nairobi Coffee Exchange
Nairobi, 28 May 2026… The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has granted two more Coffee Broker licenses and approved the appointment of Stanbic Bank Kenya Limited as a Direct Settlement System Provider (DSS) for the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE).
Stanbic Bank is the second DSS provider coming after Cooperative Bank, which has been the sole DSS service provider since August 2023. DSS facilitates the clearing and settlement of coffee proceeds at the auction, ensuring that funds remitted by coffee buyers are settled to service providers and ultimately to coffee growers in a timely and transparent manner.
The approval enhances effective oversight of players in the regulated coffee trading market intended to deepen price discovery, transparency and timely settlement for coffee farmers, cooperative societies and other industry stakeholders.
Among the firms granted Coffee Broker licenses include Ahadi Coffee Limited, which intends to offer coffee brokerage services to coffee farmers, cooperative societies and other industry stakeholders trading at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange.
The Authority has also granted a Coffee Broker license to Cafforra Coffee Company Limited. The firm will sell coffee on behalf of farmers and cooperatives in Kisumu County and neighbouring counties including Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet. They will also provide advisory services to farmers and societies, with the objective of delivering above-average returns to growers.
The CMA Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wyckliffe Shamiah, noted that the new licenses will support an efficient and well-regulated coffee trading ecosystem for the benefit of coffee farmers and the broader value chain in line with the Government’s efforts in revitalizing the coffee sector in Kenya.
ENDS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE CAPITAL MARKETS AUTHORITY
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) was set up in 1989 as a statutory agency under the Capital Markets Act Cap 485A. It is charged with the prime responsibility of both regulating and developing an orderly, fair, and efficient capital markets in Kenya with the view to promoting market integrity and investor confidence. CMA also regulates the structured commodity markets and online forex trading. The regulatory functions of the Authority as provided by the Act and the regulations include; Licensing and supervising all the capital market intermediaries; Ensuring compliance with the legal and regulatory framework by all market participants; Regulating public offers of securities, such as equities and bonds & the issuance of other capital market products such as collective investment schemes; Promoting market development through research on new products and services; Reviewing the legal framework to respond to market dynamics; Promoting investor education and public awareness; and Protecting investors’ interest. For more information, please contact: Antony Mwangi, Assistant Director Corporate Communications & International Affairs on amwangi@cma.or.ke
