Kenya

RUTHAKA/KAMUCHUNI AA – Nyeri, Kenya

Factory: Kamuchuni Coffee Factory

Cooperative: Ruthaka Farmers’ Cooperative Society

County: Nyeri

Elevation:1,700 meters above sea level

Varieties: Primarily SL28 & SL34

Processing: Fully Washed (Double Fermentation)

Harvest Season: September – January

ETA: May 2025 (CTI)

Contributing Farmers: 564 (372 male, 192 female)

Overview

Established in 1987, Kamuchuni Factory is a cornerstone of quality within the Ruthaka FCS network. Located in

Mukuruweini, Nyeri County, on the southwest slopes of Mt. Kenya, this wet mill processes the coffee for 564 members of

the Ruthaka FCS Cooperative, of which almost 34% are women. Each farmer has a small plot of land, averaging 1.5 acres or

about 200 coffee trees. The coffee cherry harvested by the co-op members is delivered to the Kamuchuni wet mill daily.

Here the cherries undergo de-pulping to remove their outer fruit layer before being transferred to tanks filled with water

sourced from the nearby Ragati River. This Ragati River is a vital part of the community and its ecosystem.

Cherries are hand-harvested, carefully sorted to ensure optimal ripeness, and depulped using an Agaarde disc pulper. Beans

are then graded by density, separating top-quality lots before undergoing the fermentation, washing, and drying stages. The

factory’s location at 1,700 MASL and the region’s fertile volcanic soils provide ideal growing conditions for SL28 and SL34,

with small quantities of other cultivars also present.

Varieties:

• SL28: Bred by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in 1931, SL28 is known for exceptional cup quality, drought resilience,

and broad leaves with copper-tipped shoots.

• SL34: A high-yielding selection from French Mission Bourbon, SL34 features bronze-tipped leaves and is adaptable to

varying rainfall conditions. Together, SL28 and SL34 account for 95% of coffee production

Tasting Notes: Bright, citric, and lively (like lemon, lime, or grapefruit).

• Blackcurrant, red berries, fig, dark chocolate, grapefruit, red currant jam, honeysuckle, hints of spice/herb.