Kenya Karatu

Coffee Story
Karatu Coffee Factory is situated in the Central Province, specifically in the Thika District, within the Ndarugu location of Gatundu Division, near Gatundu town. Established in 1965, the factory occupies 11 acres of land and services the villages of Karatu, Gitwe, Kibiru, and Kigaa. Alongside coffee cultivation, common crops such as bananas and maize are also grown in the area. Grevillea or macadamia trees are planted to provide shade for the coffee trees.


In response to growing awareness of environmental conservation, the factory has constructed wastewater pits located away from water sources, allowing wastewater to soak back into the soil. Currently, the factory does not engage in wastewater treatment, but the society encourages its members to plant trees on their farms.


Once coffee cherries are harvested, they are brought to the factory and weighed, allowing smallholder farmers to collect their earnings at that time. The coffee cherries then pass through a disk depulper to remove most of the fruit. Afterward, the cherries are fermented for 24 hours and washed again, culminating in a total processing time of 72 hours. The drying time for parchment coffee depends heavily on the climate, ambient temperature, and the volume being processed, and can take anywhere from 1 to 15 days.