AB Mutwewathi

Genuine Origin

Details

Origin

Kenya

Region

Nyeri County

Process

Washed

Altitude

1,300–1,500 m

Varietal

Description

<h2>Kenya AB Mutwewathi | New Gikaru Farmers Cooperative Society</h2> <p>Mutwewathi Factory is located in Nyeri County, one of Kenya’s most renowned coffee-producing regions in the Central Highlands, approximately 150 kilometers north of Nairobi. The factory operates under the New Gikaru Farmers Cooperative Society, along with the Ichamara, Kiuu, Kahuro, and Thangathi factories. Established in 1971 during a period of rapid expansion in Kenya’s coffee sector, the wet mill today serves hundreds of smallholder farmers delivering freshly harvested coffee cherries.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h2>Growing Environment</h2> <p>Coffee delivered to the Mutwewathi Factory is grown at elevations between 1,700 and 1,800 meters above sea level, providing ideal conditions for slow cherry maturation and the development of complex cup profiles.</p> <p>Annual rainfall ranges from approximately 1,300 to 1,500 mm, creating stable growing conditions across the season. The combination of altitude, soil fertility, and moderate climate contributes to the vibrant acidity and structure that define Nyeri coffees.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h2>Varieties</h2> <p>Farmers supplying Mutwewathi primarily cultivate SL28 and SL34, alongside smaller volumes of Ruiru 11. These varieties are well-suited to the region’s altitude and climate, producing coffees known for clarity, brightness, and layered fruit character.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h2>Harvest & Seasonality</h2> <p>The cooperative follows Kenya’s dual harvest calendar. The main crop is generally harvested October–December. The fly crop harvest occurs in April–July with smaller volumes.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h2>Wet Milling & Processing</h2> <p>Mutwewathi employs a carefully managed washed process designed to emphasize clarity and density. First, cherries are hand sorted upon delivery to remove underripe, overripe, and damaged fruit before entering the pulping system. Fresh water drawn from the nearby Gura River is used to move and clean the cherries as they pass through the pulper, where the outer fruit is removed. </p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p>Following pulping, the coffee is separated by density, with lighter beans removed and denser beans directed into fermentation tanks. The beans ferment overnight to break down mucilage before being thoroughly washed. The washed parchment moves through grading channels, where manual agitation helps separate higher-density beans from lighter grades. Parchment is then dried on raised beds under constant supervision, covered during periods of rain or intense sunlight, until reaching a stable moisture content of 10–12%.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h2>Kenya Green Coffee Beans</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>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.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>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. <a href=" https://blog.genuineorigin.com/2024/07/kenyan-coffee-origin-report-2024/" target="_blank">Read more in our Kenya Origin Report</a>.</p>