Peter Mbature

Peter Mbature manages the Kamavindi Estate, a family-owned farm located in Embu, Kenya, on the windward slopes of Mount Kenya. The estate was founded in 1958 by his grandfather, the late John Njiru Mbature, during the British colonial era. At its inception, the farm was restricted by law to only 100 coffee trees for native African farmers. Following the lifting of these restrictions in 1961, the family began expanding their cultivation, eventually growing the estate to its current capacity of approximately 10,000 trees.

Today, the farm is operated by Peter Mbature alongside his mother, Hellen Weveti, and his sister, Gladwell Wanjira. The estate represents a significant legacy of Kenyan coffee production, transitioning through generations while maintaining a focus on quality. The farm is situated at an altitude of approximately 1,680 to 1,750 meters, providing the ideal climatic conditions for the high-acidity, complex profiles for which Kenyan coffee is globally renowned.

Kamavindi Estate is known for cultivating a variety of coffee cultivars, including the classic SL28 and SL34, as well as the disease-resistant Ruiru 11 and Batian varieties. In recent years, the family has also diversified their plantings to include Gesha trees. The management team has expressed a long-term goal of transitioning the farm toward a higher concentration of SL28, reflecting a commitment to the traditional flavor profiles that define the region's specialty output.

Beyond cultivation, Peter Mbature has invested heavily in the infrastructure of the estate. He operates his own wet and dry processing facilities, allowing for precise control over the quality of the final product. This vertical integration ensures that the family can manage the entire post-harvest process, from cherry selection to the final milling of the beans, which is a hallmark of their consistent, high-scoring lots.

In 2018, Mbature established the Kamavindi Coffee Lab on the estate. This facility serves as a hub for education, where Mbature provides training on coffee production, processing, and farm management. By sharing his expertise with other farmers and industry professionals, he aims to elevate the standards of coffee production in the Embu region and foster a deeper understanding of the entire value chain.

Peter Mbature’s work has garnered significant attention from international specialty coffee roasters who value the transparency and quality of his production. His efforts to combine traditional farming heritage with modern processing techniques and educational outreach position him as a key figure in the contemporary Kenyan coffee landscape, bridging the gap between smallholder production and the global specialty market.