Kenya's coffee thefts blamed on organised cartels

Coffee production supports 600,000 Kenyan farmers but their livelihoods are being threatened by a spate of robberies

Martin Kamai, a coffee farmer in rural Kenya, was sound asleep when the thieves broke into his warehouse. The 20 armed men jumped the gate, tied up the security guards and escaped with 100 bags of coffee beans - all of Kamai's harvest.

The 29-year-old from Nyeri in central Kenya is just one of thousands of farmers affected by the country's growing wave of coffee theft. According to Kenya's Coffee Directorate, more than 30,000 kilos of coffee have gone missing since the start of 2016, costing the industry hundreds of thousands of dollars. Escalating robbery is not only threatening the farmers' livelihoods but also international brands that may be re-selling stolen coffee without knowing it.