Kiangoi factory

The story

The Kiangoi factory is one of three wet mills operated by the Rungeto Farmers’ Cooperative Society in the Kirinyaga region. The cooperative was formed through the merger of the Kiangoi, Karimikui, and Kii factories to manage coffee processing for local smallholder farmers. Coffee cultivation in this region dates back to 1953, with farmers typically managing small plots of land.

Challenges

Farmers face the complexities of the traditional Kenyan auction system and must manage small landholdings, with many farmers cultivating only a few hundred trees on less than a hectare of land.

Innovations

The cooperative has implemented quality-focused infrastructure upgrades across its factories, including the installation of tiles in washing channels and fermentation tanks, as well as the implementation of water recycling systems.