Kenya - Kamwangi Factory

East Africa is the birthplace of coffee, but coffee only reached Kenya in the late nineteenth century. Early accounts suggest it was introduced by missionaries before later grown as a settler-estate crop in the central highlands, it became a staple cash crop of a nation of tea drinkers, where high-altitude volcanic soils give it a bright, fruity acidity. African farmers were largely barred from growing it until the 1950s, when smallholders were finally allowed in through cooperatives, which still produce most of the country's coffee.

The system built then, including the Nairobi auction and the research stations that developed celebrated varieties like SL28 and SL34, remains central today. Output peaked in the 1980s and then declined. Cooperative mismanagement and slow payments eroded farmers' trust, world prices crashed when the international quota system collapsed, crops like tea and avocado proved more rewarding, and land near Nairobi was converted to housing. Coffee fell well behind those sectors as an earner.

It has become more relevant lately because of high global prices and Kenya's reputation for quality. Kenya grows mostly arabica, and while it supplies a tiny share of the world's coffee, its famous double-washed processing is highly prized. Strong prices encouraged farmers to reinvest,  and production is now forecast to rise as new plantings mature. Kenya’s parliament introduced the  Coffee Act earlier this year which re-establishes the Coffee Board of Kenya and creates an independent research institute. A new direct payment system has cut the time producers wait to be paid from months to just five days, an attempt to fix the governance problems that long hurt farmers.

Kamwangi AA comes from the Gichugu division of Kenya’s Kirinyaga district, nestled in the fertile, volcanic foothills surrounding Mount Kenya. While this region is often overshadowed by its neighbour Nyeri, the coffees here display remarkable clarity, depth, and balance, qualities that have made Kamwangi one of Kenya’s most respected factories.

The New Ngariama Cooperative is made up of smallholder farmers, each typically cultivating around 100 trees. During harvest, they deliver freshly picked cherries daily, often carrying 25–50 kilos by foot or by bike. Every delivery is hand-sorted to remove unripe or overripe cherries before processing begins, ensuring that only the finest quality reaches the factory. Factory manager Edwin Gichori leads Kamwangi with a focus on long-term improvement and farmer empowerment. The factory offers small advance payments at delivery and, after milling and marketing costs, returns up to 80% of the final sale price back to producers, a remarkable model of shared value. Kamwangi has also been Rainforest Alliance certified since 1997, reflecting its commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Like most Kenyan specialty coffees this lot is made up of a ‘field blend’ of SL28, SL34 and Batian varieties, a combination of SL varieties that have partly defined the bright, clean flavour profile the region is famous for, and the newer more disease resistant Batian. Whilst it’s rare to taste Batian alone, World Coffee Research describes its quality potential as high, as well as its yield and strength as being key benefits in an industry where climate change is rapidly impacting the viability of farms.

Cherries are carefully hand-sorted by farmers before being pulped to remove the skin and fruit. The coffee is then graded by density into three categories. Fermentation occurs under shade for 24–36 hours, followed by thorough washing and another round of density grading in the washing channels. The parchment coffee is soaked overnight in clean water to enhance clarity and sweetness, then dried on raised beds for 12–20 days, covered with plastic during the hottest hours to protect against excess sun and rain.

This meticulous fully washed process results in a coffee that is bright, clean, and complex — showcasing the precision and care that define Kenya’s finest coffees.

This is an AA lot, the largest size grading exported from Kenya. Whilst this has historic links to quality, we see the sorting process itself as more important, a control point that removes defects and results in a more consistent quality of bean that allows more consistent roasting, brewing and ultimately flavour quality.

This is our second year offering Kamwangi, last year with the support of Drop Coffee, who have partnered with them for 10 years, and now we’re able to continue growing together through our own supply chain partners at Covoya, who have long worked to improve farmer outcomes and dignity throughout Africa through consistent on the ground support. Like the Yirgacheffes of Ethiopia and the best pulped natural Brazils, Kenyan coffee, when it shines like this, are a core reference point in the diversity of coffees flavour profiles and history that we believe should be celebrated.