Kenya AB Karugiro Factory 2025

Kenya AB Karugiro

Murang’a County, in central Kenya, where Karugiro Factory is based, relies heavily on agriculture for both economic activity and daily sustenance. The main products produced here include coffee, tea, milk, fish, honey, maize, and beans. Founded in the early 1960s, the factory is part of the Kamacharia Farmers’ Cooperative Society and serves 1,300 members in a high-potential farming zone. The cooperative society itself has nearly 6,200 members, with almost one-third being female.

Kenyan green coffee beans are renowned for their bold, fruit-forward flavors and complex acidity. This coffee was grown in red volcanic soil at 1,750 masl, slowly ripening at high altitudes in cool temperatures. The dominant varieties include 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. Around 10% of the lot consists of Ruiru 11, a coffee berry disease-resistant varietal introduced in 1968 and quickly adopted nationwide.

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 higher quality, size does not always mean you will get a better cup profile.

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 runs from October to December, meaning new crop coffees start shipping 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. In the afternoon, harvested cherries are spread out on a patio, where underripes, overripes, and foreign objects are sorted out before being funneled into the pulping station.

After pulping, the beans undergo a two-stage fermentation process. First, they ferment for 12 to 24 hours before being washed and sorted. Then, they are placed in soaking tanks for an additional 24-hour fermentation, enhancing the proteins and amino acids in the coffee, which contributes to a more complex acidity in the cup profile.

Finally, the beans are carefully sun-dried on raised tables for two to three weeks under strict supervision. They are covered and turned as needed and monitored 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.