birds eye

Extend the soffit above the cabinets. It's just drywall and lumber. Or get rid of it entirely. That's the only two options that will work.

I am not a fan of soffits. I'd get rid of them, and run the cabinets all the way to the ceiling.

Is there ductwork behind it?

If you can't removal all of it, I would extend the soffits to cover the areas in question with the proper shape and dimension and make it all look intentional.

I did a project where there were a couple partial soffits, and we just extended them to make them look "complete" instead of just bumpouts on the ceiling, and they actually disappear more now that they are not partial obstructions.

I see thanks all! I was thinking of extending the soffits - and yes there is ducting behind one of the soffits so I cannot remove them

We had to keep our soffits and the cabinets above the fridge do extend over it. They have the same finished trim as the rest of the cabs.

bcafe - do you have a pic of your kitchen?