this beautiful coffee comes from the Kainamui (pronounced “khin-a-moo-ee”) washing station situated in the Gichugu division of the Kirinyaga District in Central Kenya. A perfect example of a typical washed Kenyan it’s complex & juicy with crisp acidity.

tastes like: white grape, blood orange & rhubarb
origin: ngariama, gichugu, kirinyaga
produced by: kainamui washing station
processing method: washed
varietal: SL-28, SL-34, ruiru 11, batian, K7
elevation: 1750m above sea level

Kenya is a coffee origin that consistently provides exceptional quality and flavour profiles through traditional processing techniques and attention to detail at the best mills & estates. Kenya has one of the most transparent and strict coffee buying systems in the world via the Nairobi auctions. coffee was traditionally always sold through the country’s auction system, though recent amendments to the laws have brought about the introduction of direct trading, whereby farmers can bypass the auction and sell directly to specialty roasters around the world.

 

the majority of Kenyan supply comes from small holder farmers with an average of 0.5–3 acres of coffee production. by law in Kenya, a farmer with under 5 acres must be organised into a cooperative. Kainamui coffee factory was established in 1963 on the slopes of Mount Kenya in the Gichugu division of Kirinyaga County. the Kainamui factory serves about 1,800 smallholder coffee farmers who are members of the New Ngariama Farmers Cooperative Society (NNFCS), and about 600 of whom are women. the smallholders own an average of 200 trees on less than half a hectare of land.

with ideal conditions for coffee growing, farmers benefit from the mineral-rich red volcanic loam soils and high altitudes that are typical of the area. the coffee here is handpicked & traditionally processed with dry fermentation before being washed & graded in channels, and dried on raised beds.

 

the farmers are mainly growing SL28 and SL34 varietals, but as with almost all Kenyan cooperative coffees, it can be a mix of everything. other typical cultivars are K7, Ruiru 11 and now also Batian. farmers in the area also grow grevillea, macadamia nuts, eucalyptus, tea, corn, and bananas in addition to coffee. farmers benefit from the environmental advantages of biodiversity as well as the increased food and economic security from diversified production.

 

Kainamui along with NNFCS are known for giving back a big portion of the premiums to the producers as well as advances for school fees, farm support and other emergency funds. the factory receives field visits from agricultural ministers and agro-companies who also offer agronomy training programs for all members.