Kenya Samuga Estate AB

Samuga is a small, ten-hectare estate located in Kirinyaga County, owned and managed by Peter Munene Gachuiri (pictured above) and his father Stephen. The farm sits at 1,750 meters above sea level in the foothills of the extinct volcano, Mt Kenya, close to the town of Kagumo. The area is defined by its bright red, nutrient-rich, volcanic soil and cool climate, both of which contribute to the outstanding quality of the coffees produced on this farm.

Peter’s father, Stephen, purchased the land and planted it with coffee in the 1990s. At the time of planting, he chose the SL-28 and SL-34 varieties that are commonly found in central Kenya, specifically because they produce a high-quality flavour profile. Stephen and Peter have since also planted a small amount of Ruiru 11, a hardier, hybrid that is very popular among farmers as it has been bred for high yields and disease resistance. The varieties are harvested and processed together, as separation is challenging to achieve during the busy harvest period.

Soon after buying the estate, Stephen and Peter built a small wet mill – or factory, as they are called in Kenya – on their land. This facility enables them to process and dry their crop onsite, rather than selling fresh, whole cherry to the local Farmers’ Society Cooperative. By processing the coffee independently, the father-son duo are able to control every step of their production directly – from farming, to harvesting, processing, drying and sale – ensuring the full potential of the crop is achieved in terms of quality and sale price. The resulting coffee lot reflects the incredible amount of hard work and attention to managing every single variable that influences quality.

Choosing to process the coffee independently is not easy—or cheap. Managing processing on such a small scale has required significant investment in infrastructure, equipment and staff. It is also far costlier to mill and market small volume lots than large day lots. This investment has paid off, however, as Samuga is now producing some exceptionally high-quality lots which fetch higher prices at the point of sale.

Peter and Stephen are members of the Kirinyaga Arabica AA Farmer’s Group, which was founded by MCM’s long-time producing partner, Joseph Karaba of Kabumbu Estate in 2023. A meticulous and quality-focused farmer, Joseph formed the group to share resources and education and to assist his neighbouring producers in accessing a premium market for their coffees.