Rukira AB

Rukira wetmill is part of Othaya Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited, one of a few washing stations or “factories” that form the coop group based in the heartland of Kukuyu territory, Nyeri. This season the mill processed cherries from 545 registered small holder farmers cultivating traditional varietals at altitudes up to 1,860masl. 

Rukira Wetmill is situated between River Mumwe and River Thuti in Nyeri county. Nyeri has cool temperatures and fertile central highlands, lying between the Eastern base of the Aberdare (Nyandarua) Range, which forms part of the Eastern end of the Great Rift Valley, and the Western slopes of Mt. Kenya. Nyeri town (county headquarters) acts as a destination for those visiting Aberdare National Park and Mt. Kenya.

The combination of fertile soil, seasonal rainfall and high altitude provide the ideal climate for coffees characterised by high acidity, full body and ripe fruit flavours. Due to the cool temperatures at altitude, particularly at night time, coffees from Nyeri tend develop and mature slowly producing very dense, hard beans high in acidity and complexity.

The coffee is wet processed, where the fully ripe cherries are:

• Pulped
• Wet fermented for 12 - 48 hours (depending on climatic conditions)
• Washed
• Dried slowly over 2 - 3 weeks on raised African beds until the moisture content is reduced to 10-12%.

The coffee is then processed at Othaya dry mill where it is rested in parchment for 3 weeks before being hulled, cleaned and graded by bean size. Finally, the coffee is carefully handpicked before being bagged in GrainPro for export from Mombasa.