Kenya Kiri AB

The Kiri Factory processes coffee from some 1,200 producers in the region who belong to the Ngiriambu Farmers’ Co-operative Society Ltd.

At around 1,400 metres above sea level with rich red volcanic soil high in nutrients and organic matter. Combined with ideal temperatures and rainfall, the farmers are working with excellent growing conditions and utilise ecological farming techniques to ensure a productive and sustainable harvest.

After handpicking, farmers deliver coffee cherries to the Kiri Factory for processing. As with the vast majority of Kenyan coffee, this one is a washed process: the outer fruit of the cherries are mechanically removed, and the fleshy beans are soaked overnight in water to start the fermentation process and break down the sticky substance that covers the beans. The next day they are rinsed and the beans are laid out to dry in the sun, carefully sorted and turned to ensure full drying.

Up there with the most renowned coffee producing regions, Kenya is the world’s 16th largest grower and the fifth largest in Africa.

Kenya’s coffee history, like so many producing countries around the world, is inescapably linked to colonialism. Although it shares a border with Ethiopia, widely believed to be the birthplace of coffee, the plant was only brought to Kenya by missionaries in the late 19th century. Under British colonial rule, coffee was concentrated on British-owned private estates and grown primarily for export. The Coffee Act of 1933 established a Kenyan Coffee Board, and in 1934 an auction system was created to centralise the sale of coffee, a system that is still in use today.

The Mau Mau rebellion of 1952-60, which led to the country’s eventual independence, provided the impetus to transfer control over coffee production from Britain to the Kenyan people. Since then a series of reforms has allowed Kenyan producers more control over their production, and the country’s research establishment has encouraged constant quality improvements.

The Kenyan grading system uses size as the primary indicator, with AA including the largest and AB the second largest beans. Of course there are many other factors involved in a coffee’s quality aside from bean size, and many experts now regard AB as the superior grade for Kenyan coffee.

Did you know?

• Coffee grown in the foothills of the extinct Mount Kenya is highly sought after, due to lush red volcanic soil high in nutrients and organic matter that provide the perfect growing medium.
• Smallholders often grow coffee alongside other cash crops such as potatoes, bananas, mangoes, and avocados in addition to livestock.
• Like so many other coffee regions around the world, Kenya is at serious risk from climate change. Coffee is a delicate plant and extremely susceptible to adverse climate events. Rising temperatures, lack of rain, and generally erratic weather patterns are causing devastation for many producers worldwide. The berry borer beetle and diseases such as coffee leaf rust have impacted Kenyan farms at ever higher altitudes.

Sources: Mercanta, The World Atlas of Coffee, Deutsche Welle, Wikipedia, World Coffee Research

Our speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We work direct with farmers, or through trusted partners, to bring you the best coffee from around the world.

Sourced in partnership with: Mercanta
Producer relationship length: 1 year