Kenya Kii Washing Station

The Kii factory is operated by Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (F.C.S.), and serves about 1,215 active farmer members. Farmers in this region began planting coffee in 1953, and the average farmer has about 400 coffee trees on an area of about 1/3rd of a hectare. The cooperative society operates three mills—Kii, Karimikui, and Kiangoi—and is managed by an elected board of seven members, two from each factory catchment. The co-op has 25 permanent staff members, overseen by a secretary manager. The co-op is partnered with the marketing agent Sustainable Management Services Limited and is implementing a coffee-quality improvement project together with the intention of raising both cup and yield.

Members deliver cherry to the factory as soon as it is picked, and it's depulped after sorting and separating. The coffee is then fermented (typically overnight) before being washed with fresh river water, and then dried in full sun.