December 11 2025

Origin

Kii Factory is one of three factories owned and operated by the Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS). Rungeto has over 850 members, many of whom deliver their cherries directly to Kii. The factory itself was built in 1995 and is located on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. The nearby Kii River gave the factory its name and also provides clean water for washing high-quality fully washed coffees. In recent years, significant effort and investment have gone into improving and ensuring the quality of coffee from Kii. These measures are reflected in the consistently complex and clean coffees produced here. Smallholder farmers carefully hand-pick only ripe cherries and deliver them to the Kii factory. Upon reception, the “Cherry Clerk” performs thorough visual sorting and accepts only dense, ripe cherries. The renowned quality of Kii coffee is a direct result of this strict attention to detail. After reception, the cherries are depulped and fermented for approximately 16–24 hours depending on the current temperature. After fermentation, the coffee is washed with clean water from the Kii River and then soaked for 12 hours. Newly installed tiles in the washing channels help preserve the quality of both the coffee and the water, and all water used in processing is filtered through clay pits before returning to local waterways. After washing and grading, the parchment coffee is spread on raised drying beds. Workers regularly turn the parchment to ensure even drying. During the hottest part of the day, the parchment is covered to maintain slow, even drying, and at night it is protected from moisture. Drying the parchment takes approximately 14 days.