AFA (Agriculture and Food Authority) is no longer the sole mandate holder, nor is it the primary regulator for licensing and overseeing coffee laboratories in Kenya.
The regulatory landscape has completely shifted due to a massive institutional overhaul.
The breakdown of who holds the mandate now covers the following key authorities:
1. The Coffee Board of Kenya (The New Principal Regulator)
With the signing of the Coffee Act, the AFA Coffee Directorate has been phased out of coffee governance. The Act established the Coffee Board of Kenya as a standalone statutory body dedicated exclusively to the coffee sector.
- The Mandate: The Coffee Board of Kenya is now the primary national body responsible for licensing a range of industry participants—explicitly including cupping laboratories, warehouse operators, buyers, and importers.
2. The Coffee Research and Training Institute (CRTI)
Previously, specialized coffee research sat under KALRO (Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization). The new legal framework has carved this out into an independent scientific entity.
- The Mandate: While the Coffee Board handles the commercial licensing of standard cupping labs, the CRTI is the scientific body mandated to drive nationwide research, innovation, and technical training. If a lab is established for genetic profiling, coffee disease research, or climate-resilient variety development, it falls squarely under the scientific advisory and coordination of the CRTI.
3. County Governments
Devolution splits the governance structure between national policy and local registration.
- The Mandate: Local processing infrastructure, millers, roasters, cooperative societies, and independent estates are required to register with their respective County Governments. Therefore, establishing a physical lab within a milling or roasting plant requires close regulatory adherence to local county registration and zoning laws, even if the formal cupping/grading license is issued nationally.
4. International Framework Alignment (NEMA & KEBS)
If you are establishing a lab, standard cross-sector regulators still apply:
- KEBS (Kenya Bureau of Standards): For testing equipment calibration, standard standardization, and laboratory analytical methods.
- NEMA (National Environment Management Authority): For environmental impact assessments regarding waste disposal (especially if the lab processes chemical tests or handles large volumes of processing waste).
The mandate has officially moved from a multi-crop body (AFA) back to a dedicated, standalone Coffee Board of Kenya, backed scientifically by the Coffee Research and Training Institute and operationally supported by County Governments.
Are you looking at the regulatory requirements for a commercial quality/cupping lab (like a CVA-compliant setup) or a research-focused facility?