Kenya - Kainamui Cooperative

This coffee from the Kainamui Cooperative in Kirinyaga is a clear example of how Kenyan coffee continues to evolve while staying rooted in what has always made it compelling. The lot blends classic SL28 and SL34 varieties that built Kenya’s reputation for bright, fruit-driven coffees with Batian and Ruiru 11, cultivars developed to withstand coffee berry disease and leaf rust. The SLs bring the clarity and vibrancy people expect, while Batian and Ruiru 11 help ensure farmers can produce viable harvests year after year (pay the bills).  It’s a practical blend, and an honest one, reflecting how coffee is grown here today rather than how we might wish it to be.

Kainamui serves around 1,800 smallholder farmers who are members of the New Ngariama Farmers Cooperative Society, including roughly 600 women. Most producers farm about 200 trees on less than half a hectare of land, often in and around their homes. Coffee grows alongside bananas, corn, tea, macadamia, eucalyptus trees, creating a diversified landscape that supports both livelihoods and soil health. Kirinyaga sits on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, where volcanic soils, abundant rivers, and roughly 50 inches of annual rainfall create ideal conditions for growing some of the country’s most expressive coffees.

Kenya is an origin that doesn’t really need an introduction, but it does deserve attention and support. It’s also an origin where direct relationships can be difficult to establish and maintain. While we always aim for transparency, we’re careful not to fill gaps with stories that aren’t ours to tell. The reality is that much of Kenyan coffee moves through well-established cooperative and milling systems, and connection often comes through shared trust over time rather than  face-to-face access. For us, honesty about what we know and what we’re still learning matters more than polished narratives.

What we do know is that cooperatives like New Ngariama play a critical role in keeping farming viable. Kainamui hosts regular field visits from agricultural ministers and agro-companies that provide support, and the cooperative offers financing to help farmers pay school fees, cover production costs, or manage emergencies without having to sacrifice future income. These structures don’t always show up in the cup description, but they’re essential to the coffee’s existence.

This is a coffee meant to be enjoyed for what it is: a clean, balanced, fruit-forward Kenyan profile that reflects a region under real pressure, adapting in real time. Kenya remains one of the most important coffee origins in the world, and right now it needs buyers and drinkers who value consistency, integrity, and long-term commitment. Every brew of this coffee is a small way to support an origin that continues to give a lot even as the challenges continue to rise.