Kenya Kiandu AA Washed

Kiandu is a high-quality washing station located in the Tetu area of Nyeri County on the southern slopes of Mount Kenya. It operates under the Mutheka Farmers Cooperative Society (sometimes locally referred to as Kiandu FCS), which operates several washing stations in the region and supports thousands of small-scale farmers.

Approximately 806 small-scale farmers deliver coffee cherries to the washing station, 242 of whom are women. The farmers cultivate classic Kenyan varieties SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian at an altitude of 1,700–1,810 m above sea level on fertile volcanic soils.

The cherries are processed using the traditional fully washed method with double fermentation. The process involves careful de-pulping, overnight dry fermentation, thorough washing in sorting channels, and subsequent soaking for 24–48 hours. The coffee is then slowly dried on raised African drying beds and hand-sorted multiple times during drying.

One of Kiandu's main advantages is very good traceability. After drying, the coffee is transported to an approved dry mill, where it is hulled and then sorted by size and density, with AA being a significant grade. Each lot receives a unique Outturn Number (ON). This system allows each lot to be traced back to the specific Kiandu washing station, the Mutheka cooperative, Nyeri district, and the respective harvest season. For specialty coffee producers and roasters, this means the ability to purchase clearly identifiable and transparent lots with traceable origin and quality.