The Story of Kahindu Coffee: From Murang’a to Your Cup

Long before Kenyan coffee reaches the world, it begins in the hands of farmers like Wilson Munyua and Eunice Njeri, whose families have nurtured the crop, and built their lives around it for generations.

This Coffee Month, Artcaffé and Guka’s Coffee are bringing their story closer to you through Their Coffee, sourced from the farmers of Kahindu, one of the coffee factories under Weithaga Cooperative in Murang’a County.

The partnership connects the farmers’ craft to a wider market through intentional sourcing, fair market pricing, prompt payment and greater visibility giving consumers an opportunity to understand exactly where their coffee comes from and the people behind it.

Wilson: Carrying forward his father’s work

For Kahindu chairperson Wilson Munyua, coffee is an inheritance.

In 1999, he took over his father’s farm and continues to care for 120 coffee trees on the same land. His story is closely connected to Kahindu’s own history.

Founded in 1967, Kahindu is the smallest factory within Weithaga Cooperative and one of the oldest coffee-growing communities in the region. At its peak, Kahindu was ranked fifth in Kenya for coffee quality and processed close to one million kilograms of coffee cherries annually.

For nearly six decades, it has been more than a processing facility. It has been a source of income, education and opportunity for generations of families.

Eunice: Growing coffee and community

Coffee also shaped Eunice Njeri’s life long before she became Kahindu’s treasurer.

Her father’s coffee income paid for her education, and she began tending her own farm at just 22. Today, she grows coffee on land inherited from her mother-in-law, continuing another family legacy rooted in the crop.

Eunice has also become a strong voice for farmers, particularly women and young people, in a sector where they have not always had the opportunity to lead.

Drawing from her experience as a social worker and community leader, she uses Kahindu’s monthly members’ information days to share practical knowledge about pruning, fertiliser application and good farming practices. She also encourages the next generation to see coffee farming as a viable opportunity.

Rebuilding Kahindu together

Kahindu’s journey has not been without challenges.

Limited access to financing for essential inputs, including fertiliser, manure, insecticides and copper treatments, contributed to a decline in annual production from approximately 150,000 kilograms to just 40,000 kilograms in 2024.

Years of underpayment and leadership challenges also weakened farmers’ trust, reducing membership from approximately 800 farmers to 200.

Today, that trust is gradually being rebuilt. Membership is beginning to grow, the cooperative is working to clear its debts, and farmers like Wilson and Eunice are helping Kahindu build a stronger future.

Connecting Kahindu to the market

The Artcaffé × Guka’s Coffee partnership is designed to connect the entire journey; from the farmers growing the coffee to the people enjoying it.

Through the partnership, Guka’s Coffee works closely with the cooperative on sourcing and farmer relationships, while Artcaffé helps bring Kahindu’s coffee and story to a broader consumer market.

This connection supports fair market pricing, prompt payment, greater farmer visibility and more reliable access to the market. It also gives customers greater traceability by showing them the cooperative, community and people behind their coffee.

For Wilson and Eunice, the partnership represents an opportunity to restore Kahindu’s production, strengthen farmers’ livelihoods and preserve these farms for another generation.

For Eunice, being selected from among many coffee-growing communities holds particular meaning: coffee grown on land once tended by her mother-in-law can now be enjoyed far beyond Murang’a.

Take Kahindu’s story home

Kahindu’s story is one of inheritance, resilience and renewed possibility. It is carried forward by farmers like Wilson and Eunice, and shared through every pack of Their Coffee.

Discover Their Coffee at Artcaffé Market and take a piece of Kahindu’s story home.