METHODS We monitored coffee water use (I day- 1) and certain microclimate parameters (rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, radiation and soil moisture) during one year (March 2015 - April 2016) in coffeeopen systems and coffee-shade systems at Mt. Elgon, Uganda. RESULTS Coffee daily water use per plant (1 .2 ± 0.64 1 d-1) and coffee transpiration per leaf area (0.30 ± 0.15 mm day- 1) did not differ significantly between cultivation systems. Neverthelees, system transpiration was on average higher in shaded systems (0.63 ± 0.25 mm d-1) than in open systems (0.27 ± 0.1 mm d- 1). Consequently soii water content was reduced in shaded systems up to SO%. CONCLUSIONS & PERSPECTIVES Coffee water use was not affected by the presence of shade trees. Hence, we could not prove water competition or complementarity between coffee and shade trees. Further research is needed to quantify water limitations under more extreme environmental conditions and the verstatility of several management practices (mulching, pruning, thinning) to reduce water limitations.