Origin

Murang’a County, Kenya

Coffee was introduced to Kenya in the late 19th century by French and Scottish missionaries, with Arabica plants arriving in the early 1890s. Initially cultivated around mission farms, coffee became a commercial crop under British colonial rule. The establishment of the Kenyan Coffee Board in 1933, alongside formal grading and auction systems, laid the groundwork for Kenya's reputation for quality-focused coffee.

Following independence in 1963, land reforms allowed African smallholders to expand coffee cultivation rapidly through cooperative societies and wet mills. Smallholders, typically working on plots smaller than a hectare, became the backbone of production, delivering ripe cherries to centralized factories for processing and preparation for the Nairobi Coffee Exchange.

Murang’a County, part of the Central Highlands coffee belt, benefits from rich volcanic soils, abundant rainfall, and elevations between 1,400 and 2,000 meters, ideal for Arabica varieties like SL28 and SL34. As coffee spread from initial mission plantings, smallholders invested in these regions. Despite past challenges, recent cooperative revitalization and government support have renewed interest and productivity in Murang’a, showcasing the region's historical depth and evolving coffee cultivation.