Kenya - Kagumo AA - Washed

🏞️ Region and Terroir

Kenya Kagumo Washed coffee comes from the Kirinyaga County region, stretching along the western slopes of the majestic Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest mountain. Kagumo station is located approximately 115 kilometers north of Nairobi, opposite the Aberdare mountain range, in one of Kenya's most fertile coffee-growing areas.

Coffee trees here grow at altitudes between 1,600 and 1,700 meters, where a combination of cool nights, moderate daytime temperatures, and regular rainfall creates ideal conditions for the slow maturation of coffee cherries. This gives the beans high density, pronounced sweetness, and characteristic juicy acidity. The local red volcanic soils rich in minerals, together with pure mountain water from the Mount Kenya basin, give rise to some of the most complex Kenyan coffees.

🌍 Kirinyaga – Home of Iconic Kenyan Coffees

Kirinyaga has long been considered one of the most prestigious coffee-growing regions in Kenya. Thanks to ideal natural conditions and decades of experience of local farmers, coffees are produced here that regularly achieve the highest ratings at Kenyan auctions.

Most of the production comes from small family farmers who cultivate small plots averaging around 0.1 hectare. In addition to coffee, they also grow bananas, beans, corn, vegetables, fruits, and tea, which helps maintain biodiversity and economic stability for households.

👨🌾 Kagumo Coffee Factory

Kagumo Coffee Factory is one of the largest washing stations of the Mutira Farmers Cooperative Society, which was established in the early 1950s. The cooperative now operates nine processing stations in the Kirinyaga region and provides its members with technical support, agronomic advice, and a transparent coffee purchasing system.

More than 1,500 small farmers deliver their cherries to the Kagumo station. Each delivery is weighed upon receipt and digitally recorded. Farmers immediately receive information about the quantity of cherries delivered via mobile phone, which contributes to the transparency of the purchasing system. The cooperative also offers advance payments, preferential financing for agricultural inputs, and regular training focused on improving product quality.

Great emphasis is also placed on sustainability. Shade trees, especially Grevillea, are supported on farms, while the planting of crops that could negatively affect coffee quality is regulated. Thanks to regular visits by agronomists, farmers manage to maintain high harvest quality in the long term.

⚙️ Kenyan Fully Washed Processing

Kagumo station uses the traditional Kenyan fully washed processing method, which is considered one of the most precise in the world.

Step by Step

Selective Harvesting
Farmers hand-pick only perfectly ripe red cherries and deliver them to the processing station on the same day.

Hand Sorting and Flotation
Upon receipt, unripe, overripe, and damaged cherries are removed.

Pulping
The skin and most of the pulp are mechanically removed.

Dry Fermentation
Parchment coffee ferments for approximately 24 hours, during which the remaining mucilage layer naturally breaks down.

Washing and Soaking
After fermentation, the coffee is thoroughly washed with clean mountain water and then soaked for approximately six hours, which contributes to the typical cleanliness and bright acidity of Kenyan coffees.

Drying
The parchment is dried on raised African beds, where it is regularly turned and protected from too intense sun. Drying proceeds slowly until the coffee reaches optimal moisture.

Environmental Protection
All water used in processing is recirculated and then discharged into soak pits to prevent contamination of surrounding watercourses.

Flavor Profile: Blackberries, lemon, black tea, hibiscus

Country of Origin: Kenya