About Kii PB

Kii Coffee Factory is located in the Central Province of the Kirinyaga District, in the Ngariama subregion of Gichugu Division. Close to the town of Embu, it was established in 1968 on an 8 acre piece of land. It serves Gathanjuri, Kibae, Kianduma, and Kiandumbe Villages.

Kii Coffee factory is run by the factory manager, with 6 permanent staff and a varying number of “casuals,” who chip in depending on annual need. During the peak season, the factory employs about 25 casuals, with about remaining 5 off-peak. Permanent staff duties include weighing coffee, selecting and grading coffee, paying producers and addressing farmer issues as they come up.

The factory lies at an altitude of 1,619 masl, with long rains that fall between March-May and a second shorter rainy season between October-December. The area experiences a biennial production cycle with early harvest from April-June and the late second season from October-December. The main varieties of coffee that present here are SL34, SL28 and Ruiru 11, with SL34 and SL28 accounting to 99% of all coffee produced while Ruiru 11 accounting for 1% of all production.

After harvest, coffee is delivered to the factory to undergo washed processing. Kii factory pumps freshwater from the Kii River to reservoir tanks for pulping and recirculation. After pulping, the coffee is stored overnight, washed, soaked and spread on drying tables. The parchment is then frequently turned on the drying tables, sorted and stored. To ensure that the processing is carried out efficiently, the factory has invested in a pulper, a recirculation system, and about 20 conditioning bins.

The affiliate members of the factory carry out all agronomic activities associated with coffee production, sourcing coffee from the Coffee Research Station and planting according to the best-practice guidelines. Fieldwork involves weeding, pruning, spraying, applying fertilizer, and giving technical advice to farmers, as well as checking for compliance with previous advice.

With a focus on environmental conservation, Kii factory dug their wastewater soak pits a solid distance from their freshwater source, allowing the wastewater to soak in back to the soil where it won’t acidify the freshwater supply. They don’t yet have wastewater treatment.

The factory also encourages strategic tree planting on member farms. The surrounding environment is densely populated with indigenous trees which are well protected by the community.