Kenya’s coffee sector has received a major boost as the New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union PLC (New KPCU) opens applications for 1,600 Coffee Extension Champions across all coffee-growing counties. The recruitment drive is part of the National Coffee Revival Programme, a government-backed initiative designed to rebuild extension services, strengthen farmer support systems, and revive Kenya’s long-struggling coffee value chain.
The programme targets young professionals with training in agriculture-related fields, offering them practical skills, certification, and income opportunities while embedding them directly into communities as frontline extension agents. This marks one of the boldest efforts yet to rebuild Kenya’s extension ecosystem—long cited as a critical bottleneck in productivity, quality management, and farmer profitability.
Successful applicants will undergo intensive theoretical and practical training delivered by New KPCU. Trainees will graduate as Certified Coffee Extension Champions, equipped to support farmers with modern production practices, climate-smart techniques, crop husbandry, pest and disease management, and post-harvest handling.
The programme directly addresses the country’s extension gaps by establishing a new cadre of ward-based specialists who will support farmers throughout the production cycle. Champions will also earn income from extension services delivered in their local wards, creating a sustainable youth employment pathway anchored in Kenya’s agricultural transformation agenda.
New KPCU is targeting applicants aged 18–35 years, with Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) encouraged to apply. Candidates must hold a Certificate, Diploma, or Degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, or any related field. Applicants must be residents of the ward they hope to serve and must not have participated in previous intakes under the same programme.
Beyond academic qualifications, the programme prioritizes individuals who are passionate about the revival of Kenya’s coffee sub-sector, which has historically been one of the country’s most valuable export industries.
Interested candidates should submit their CV, academic certificates, National ID, and contacts of three referees to the email provided by New KPCU.
Email: recruitment@newkpcu.go.ke
Application Portal: newkpcuplc.go.ke/careers
Deadline: Friday, 5th December 2025 at 1700hrs
The recruitment aligns with government efforts through the State Department of Cooperatives to restructure the coffee value chain, improve farmer incomes, and restore Kenya’s global reputation for high-quality Arabica coffee.
With 1,600 new champions set to be deployed, the programme aims to rebuild trust between farmers and institutions, modernize extension delivery, and drive a new wave of productivity across coffee-growing counties.