Kenya Rungeto Karimikui

Mt. Kenya, the Kii River Waters and the Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (Rungeto Coop)

Being the second tallest peak in Africa, Mt. Kenya, with its striking natural presence, might be the secret of the high quality of Kenyan coffees. The mountain stands as a singular point within a vast and surreal expanse of rising national forests and active wildlife protection communities. From the center of this national park, six central counties of Kenya stretch out like irregular pie slices, all converging at the mountain's summit. Along the lower edges of these forests, in the wet, high-altitude regions, various coffee farming communities produce some of the world's most renowned and acclaimed coffees.

After the rise and dissolution of the giant Ngariama Cooperative in Rungeto (Kirinyaga County), 1,150 former members joined forces in 1997 to form the legendary Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (Rungeto Coop). Today, Rungeto Coop is recognized everywhere by connoisseurs and has a well-earned name in the world of specialty coffee.

The renowned Rungeto Coop thrives due to its exceptional geographical advantages. Located in a region blessed with mineral-rich, red volcanic soil from Mt. Kenya—a stratovolcano—and enjoying consistent temperatures ranging from 13°C to 24°C throughout the year, it also benefits from the cold, fresh, fast-running waters of the Kii River, which come straight from Mt. Kenya's snowy peaks. This pristine water is used to wash the coffees at all Rungeto factories.

The Karimikui Coffee Factory

Rungeto Coop operates three big coffee factories (wet processing mills) that were previously part of the Ngariama cooperative: Kii, established in 1965; Karimikui, built in 1968; and Kiangoi, constructed in 1995. Farmers deliver their coffee cherries to these factories, where the cherries are pulped, fermented, dried, and transformed into parchment coffee.

The organization is governed by a board of seven members. Each mill elects two members, with an additional women's representative chosen on a rotating basis. The chairman of the board at Rungeto Coop has implemented various initiatives across all factories. These include installing tiles on all washing channels and fermentation tanks, as well as implementing a water recycling program for coffee processing. Thanks to the excellent work of the member growers and governing board, today Rungeto Coop has approximately 7800 members and is recognized as one of the leading producers at the forefront of Kenyan coffees.

The coffee that we bring here to you was produced and processed by farmers affiliated to the Karimikui factory.

Enjoy!

ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ
πλάγχθη, ἐπεὶ Τροίης ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔπερσεν·
πολλῶν δʼ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω,
πολλὰ δʼ ὅ γʼ ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν,
ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.