KENYA Gondo Ab
General Information
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Origin: Kenya
County: Murang’a Cooperative: New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society Washing Station: Gondo Farmers: 560 active members (224 female, 336 male) Cultivar: SL28, SL34, K7, Ruiru 11 Altitude: 1900 masl Process: Fully washed with double fermentation Harvest: November 2025 - January 2026 Cherry Price | FOB Price: 5,92 USD/kg | 10,03 USD/Kg Screen | Moisture | Density: 17-18 | 10.6% | 0.72 g/ml Packaging: 30 Kg VP box Score: 87.1 Notes: Blackberry, apricot, cola, milk chocolate |
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TRACEABILITYMuranga County occupies a distinctive position in Kenya's coffee landscape — sandwiched between the celebrated counties of Nyeri and Kirinyaga to the north and the urban sprawl of Kiambu to the south. While often overshadowed by its more famous neighbours, Murang'a produces coffees of genuine character, shaped by the influence of the Aberdare Mountain Range to the west and the rich red volcanic soils that define the region's terroir.
Gondo is one of three washing stations operated by the New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society, founded in 1998, alongside the Kayu and Kirimahiga factories. The cooperative's main office is located at Kayu, in the Mathioya district. At Gondo, 560 active members — 40% of whom are women — deliver hand-harvested cherries from plots cultivated at 1,900 masl, where elevation and consistent rainfall combine to produce dense, structured beans. The variety mix at Gondo reflects the evolution of Kenyan coffee farming over nearly a century: SL28 and SL34, both developed by the Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s and prized for their cup quality; K7, an older French Mission Bourbon cultivar better suited to lower altitudes and with partial resistance to leaf rust; and Ruiru 11, the compact high-yielding variety introduced in 1985 to combat the spread of coffee berry disease and leaf rust. At the factory, cherries are hand-sorted for ripeness and floated for density before being depulped. The coffee then undergoes double fermentation — an overnight dry ferment followed by a thorough wash in grading channels and a 24–48 hour water soak. Parchment is dried on raised African beds over approximately two weeks, with careful hand-sorting throughout to maintain lot integrity. From there, the dried parchment is transported to a dry mill, where it is hulled, sized, and assigned its unique Outturn Number (ON) — the traceability cornerstone of the Kenyan system, linking every bag back to Gondo Factory, New Kiriti FCS, and the 2025/26 harvest. COFFEE GRADES IN KENYAEvery coffee farm in the world — even the most reputable ones — produces a mix of high-quality, medium, and lower-quality beans. Therefore, separating the denser, larger, and better beans from the lighter and defective ones is essential to maximising the producer’s financial returns.
In Kenya, once a lot has been processed, it is delivered in parchment to the Marketing Agent (MA) by the producer or cooperative. The MA then mills and grades the coffee by shape and size, assigning each lot a unique Outturn Number (ON). This ON is crucial for ensuring transparency and traceability throughout the system. Although the lot now has a unique Outturn Number, it is divided into several different grades based on bean size:
Given the high volume of samples and limited time available, we focus our attention primarily on the AA, AB, and PB grades. Thanks to the centralised and highly efficient system of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, this focused approach allows us to discover exceptional “hidden jewels” from remote areas of the country — coffees that would be almost impossible to find by simply travelling around Kenya. In simple terms, the Nairobi Coffee Exchange functions like a weekly Cup of Excellence, creating healthy competition and rewarding the best lots with higher prices. THE EVOLUTION OF KENYAN COFFEE VARIETIESKenya was one of the last African countries to be introduced to coffee. Yet today, it is renowned for producing some of the most delicious and highest-quality coffees in the world.
The main contributors to this reputation are the famous coffee varieties SL28 and SL34. Developed by the Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s (hence the “SL” prefix), these two varieties are celebrated for their exceptional cup quality, bright acidity, and complex flavours. They are also remarkably drought-tolerant, capable of surviving extended dry periods while still producing good yields. However, despite their many strengths, both SL28 and SL34 are highly susceptible to major diseases, particularly coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease (CBD). In recent years, climate change has severely affected Kenya’s traditional cultivars. Changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures have led to increased disease pressure and lower harvests. To address these challenges, the Kenya Coffee Research Foundation introduced new, more resilient varieties: Ruiru 11 (released in 1985) and Batian (released in 2010). Ruiru 11 offers several advantages for farmers: strong resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust, significantly higher yields, and a compact growth habit that allows for denser planting. Batian is also highly resistant to pests and diseases, delivers higher yields, and produces larger beans than many other wide Kenyan varieties. Today, many Ruiru 11 plants in Kenya are grafted onto SL28 rootstock. Grafting is a horticultural technique in which tissues from two different plants are joined so they continue to grow together as one. In this case, the upper part (scion) is Ruiru 11 — chosen for its disease resistance, high productivity, and compact structure — while the lower part (rootstock) is SL28, which provides a deep, robust root system that improves nutrient and water absorption, enhancing overall plant resilience and cup quality. |
KENYAN DOUBLE FERMENTATION
GONDO FACTORY LOCATION
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