Kenya AA Karundu Factory 2025

Kenya AA Karundu

Karundu Factory is part of the Rugi Farmers Cooperative Society, formed in 2005, which includes eight factories and serves approximately 4,500 members, with around 600 delivering to Karundu. The name "Karundu" is Kikuyu for “small shrubs.” Nyeri County, where the factory is based, is located about 150 kilometers from Nairobi. The nearby Wajee Camp offers visitors a chance to experience local wildlife, including the endangered Hinde’s Babbler bird, enjoy traditional Kikuyu cuisine, and take in stunning views of Mount Kenya.

Kenyan green coffee beans are renowned for their bold, fruit-forward flavors and complex acidity. This coffee was grown in red volcanic soil at around 1,850 masl, slowly ripening at high altitudes in cool temperatures. The dominant varieties are Kenya’s signature SL-28 and SL-34, developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (hence, SL) in the 1930s for their drought resistance, exceptional cup quality, and high yield at elevated altitudes.

How is Coffee Graded in Kenya?

Green coffee from Kenya is graded by screen size. The grades range from E (Elephant Bean), PB (Peaberry), AA, AB, C, TT, T, and MH/ML for a total of eight grades. While bean size can be an indicator of better quality, size is not always a definitive attribute of quality.

A consistent screen size in a coffee lot is important for roasting consistency, as uniformly sized beans roast at the same rate. In contrast, a lot with mixed bean sizes can potentially lead to uneven roasting, with smaller beans overdeveloping and larger beans under developing.

When is Kenya’s Coffee Harvest Season?

Kenya’s main coffee harvest season is between October and December. That means new crop coffees start to ship around February and March. Kenya also has a fly crop with a smaller yield from April to July.

Washed Kenyan Coffee Beans

The coffee harvesting and processing in Kenya begins with careful monitoring of cherry ripeness, ensuring only fully red cherries are handpicked in the early morning and transported to the wet mill. After sorting, the outer skin is pulped away, and the remaining beans are left to ferment to break down the mucilage layer. After fermentation, the beans are washed and carefully sun-dried until they reach the ideal 10-12% moisture content before being bagged for transport to the dry mill.

Kenya Green Coffee Beans

Kenya and Ethiopia may share a border, but their coffee industries have followed vastly different paths since the beginning. While coffee is native to Ethiopia, it wasn’t introduced to Kenya until 1893, when French missionaries planted the first trees in the Taita Hills.

For over a century, Kenya’s coffee could only be traded through a government-run auction system—one of the world's most transparent, designed to reward quality with higher prices. This system cemented Kenya’s reputation for consistently producing quality coffee. Since 2006, new legislation has allowed direct trade between farmers and international buyers.

Although Kenya’s coffee production declined in 2023/2024 due to disruptions from government reforms and the adoption of a new payment system, the outlook for this season is promising as operations stabilize and the industry adapts. Read more in our Kenya Origin Report.