Kenya Kii

Country/Region: Kenya, Kirinyaga

Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru11, Batian

Processing: Washed

Elevation: 1600 - 1800 m.a.s.l.

We Taste: Blackcurrant, Dried Figs, Hibiscus

The Kii Factory is run by the Rung’eto Cooperative Society, consisting of 850 smallholder farmers and managed by Danson Kangi.

Kii is one of the three factories owned by the co-op, alongside the Karimikui, and Kangoi factories. Collectively, the co-op produces over 3 million kilos of coffee a year, collecting from over 6000 farmers.

Rung’eto is well-known for producing one of the highest quality coffees in the region, applying meticulous sorting and processing to ensure optimal quality. Kii Factory was established in 1995, located in Kirinyaga at the foot of Mt. Kenya. The Kii river runs close by, providing the factory its name and fresh clean water for processing.

Smallholder farmers handpick ripe cherry and deliver it to Kii, where the cherry clerk oversees the intake and sorting process, only accepting dense, ripe cherry. This stringent approach directly impacts the quality of coffee from Kii.

After intake, cherry is pulped and fermented for 16-24 hours, depending on ambient temperature. Following that, coffee is washed with clean water from Kii River, and left to soak for 12 hours. Thereafter, coffee is pushed through water channels which not only rinses the coffee but also sorts the coffee by density.

Lastly, the coffee is laid to dry on raised beds, raked frequently to ensure even drying. The parchment is covered during the hottest part of the day to slow the drying, and at night to protect from moisture. The coffee takes about 14 days to dry.