KenyaKiamabara AB

Established in 1995, Kiamabara is one of the wet mills operated by Mugaga Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS), alongside its sister station, Gatina. It is located in Nyeri County, near the Kingu River and close to Mt. Kenya National Park. The factory serves a network of smallholder farmers who grow coffee at high elevations in the fertile volcanic soils typical of the region.

The farms supplying Kiamabara are generally small, often around a quarter of a hectare, and are commonly intercropped with food and cash crops such as bananas, maize, macadamia, and beans. This diversified approach helps support both household livelihoods and soil health.

Coffee cherries delivered to Kiamabara are hand-picked and processed on the same day. On arrival, cherries are carefully hand-sorted to remove under-ripe or damaged fruit, then pulped using a disc pulper to remove the skin and fruit.

The coffee is typically dry fermented overnight to break down the remaining mucilage, then washed in clean water. During washing, the parchment is graded by density in channels, helping separate higher-density coffee from lighter lots.

After washing, the coffee is soaked for a further period before being transferred to drying beds to drain and then moved onto raised tables for sun-drying. Drying usually takes between one and two weeks, depending on weather conditions and volumes. During this time, the parchment is turned regularly and carefully monitored. Once the coffee reaches the desired moisture level, it is rested in parchment before milling and export.