Divisi
When to plant Robusta coffee in Kakamega
Kenya
Known here as kahawa
Robusta (Coffea canephora) is a hardy evergreen coffee tree of the warm lowlands — bigger, tougher and higher-yielding than highland Arabica, and far better at shrugging off leaf rust.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 21 Jan 2027 – 1 May 2027 opens in 16 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.8 t/ha | about 2.8 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 270–330 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 122–255 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 99% | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 22 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Kakamega leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 1 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kakamega
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For robusta coffee in Kakamega, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2025/26 season in Kakamega
| When the rains are expected | February 2025 to January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,518 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 1,170 mm in the driest of 12 districts to about 1,655 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 47% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 358 growing days · about 1,580 mm · January to January |
|---|---|
| 39% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 343 growing days · about 1,610 mm · February to January |
| 10% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 297 growing days · about 1,140 mm · March to December |
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 353 growing days · about 1,520 mm · February to January |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 12 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What robusta coffee needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sandy loam, loam or clay loam |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 275 cm between rows, 275 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium |
What it takes to grow robusta coffee in Kakamega
| Planting material | About 1,350 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 63 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 70 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 122–255 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a robusta coffee crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Robusta coffee with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kakamega as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Robusta coffee in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will robusta coffee grow well in Kakamega?
Kakamega rates as favourable for robusta coffee.
When should I plant robusta coffee in Kakamega?
Typically 21 Jan 2027 to 1 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kakamega, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
