Podcasts about Kiambu

A group of youngsters from a community in Kiambu, Kenya is experiencing the world of VR headsets for the first time. Gathered in their village hall, it's clear many of them don't know what to expect as the organizer, Paul Simon Waiyaki Wa Hinga distributes the devices. Waiyaki is a former teacher who was looking for a better way to engage his students. He noticed there was a lack of technological know-how in many Kenyan villages and started touring the area teaching locals about the importance of VR technology via hands-on sessions. “Africa VR Campus and Center is an organization that is dedicated to training VR/XR/AR (virtual reality/extended reality/augmented reality) but not in shiny workshops and other areas but in grassroots rural Africa where we come with our gadgets, internet solutions, and we connect the community,” he says. “And the reason why we do so is, of course, for social economic empowerment because they too have stories to tell in the metaverse, they too have got their own local grassroots industries that can be incorporated in the metaverse, and that brings economic empowerment and financial wellness to them,” he adds. Bringing boxes of futuristic goggles to impoverished rural communities is fraught with difficulty, he says. Some villages don't have the infrastructure or internet coverage to host his sessions and, he says, he often gets strange looks from locals as he unboxes the new technology. The reaction from those who do join the sessions, however, more than makes up for those challenges. “I have seen that I can also travel to another country while I am still in Africa. That is so wonderful and I am so amazed. I can actually see space and all the stars, so that is a very good thing,” says Virginia Wanjiku after trying on a VR headset for the first time. Wanjiku and the rest of the group are taking part in a three-day training session. After that, those who are interested can join the team and learn how to use VR and other technologies. Waiyaki says they will also start to make a living. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

*Trigger warning* Torture, human rights abuse and sexual abuse is spoken about frequently in this episode. The Mau Mau Uprising was a pivotal event in Kenya's independence fight against Britain. British land theft in Kenya and the resulting displacement of various ethnic groups led to oppressive colonial rule. British injustices led to the Mau Mau movement being formed by radical activists, however the disproportionate reaction from Britain saw the horrors of the Hola Camp massacre and widespread use of concentration camps. The Mau Mau's persistent resistance weakened British colonial power, contributing to Kenya's eventual independence. We also touch on legal battles for restitution and the recognition of the Mau Mau's role in Kenya's history. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Sources: Papers: Coray, Michael S. “The Kenya Land Commission and the Kikuyu of Kiambu.” Agricultural History, vol. 52, no. 1, 1978, pp. 179–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3742957. Accessed 24 June 2024. Youtube Doc: Secret History: Mau Mau (1999) Reparations to Africa: Action not Words Web Resources: What Was The Mau Mau Uprising? Kenya Emergency Sins of colonialists lay concealed for decades in secret archive The Mau Mau Rebellion: Anticolonial Upheaval in Kenya Kenya & the Mau Mau Uprising The Hola Massacre: The Last Straw that toppled colonial Kenya Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pineapples: beloved by chefs–and cocktail makers–all over the world for bringing a reliable tropical sweetness. Now, an innovative firm in Kenya is gaining fans by turning waste from the fruit's harvest into footwear. It comes as the fashion industry looks to embrace more eco-friendly materials. Not just a prickly fruit–now also the raw ingredient for a sustainable textile that's being revived by a design house in Kenya. Pineapple farmers are able to generate a second income from leaves that were previously discarded and damaging to the environment. "In the past, we would burn or throw away or replant pineapple suckers. Later on, we met with this company called Pine Kazi. We sell one sucker to them at 15 Kenya shillings each (US $0.092)," says James Kinuthia, a long-time pineapple farmer in fertile Kiambu county. The potential of the discarded leaves–a major part of the pineapple plant which is currently virtually unexploited–is now gaining global attention. Pine Kazi, which converts pineapple leaf and recycles rubber into fashionable footwear, has already attracted the attention of investors and won plaudits for its sustainable credentials. Pineapple fiber, which has a long history of use, is labor-intensive to produce and has until recently lost out in the era of cheap cotton and synthetics. Co-founders Olivia Awuor, Mike Langat and Angela Nzomo say the idea was borne out of a university project. As 24-year-old students, they noticed huge piles of pineapple waste burning carelessly and turned their collective attention toward a solution. "Pine Kazi is a new and innovative social business venture that recycles waste pineapple leaves into a biodegradable textile that is friendly to the environment," explains Awuor, Pine Kazi CEO and co-founder. As a social business venture, Pine Kazi also sources labor from local communities–hence creating employment. “We use these textiles to make eco-friendly fashion products like shoes and bags while creating meaningful and sustainable employment to vulnerable groups in the community," Awuor says. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Ni Jumapili nyingine tunakutana tena katika Makala haya ya Changu chako chako Changu ambapo leo tunaangazia juhudi za wakaazi wa Mitahato Kaunti ya Kiambu katika Kujifunza lugha ya Kifaransa. Na kwenye le le parler Francophone tutaangazia kinachoendelea Alliance francaise ya Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam na kwenye Muziki tutamzungumzia mwanamuzi Sheebah Karungi kutoka nchini Uganda. Mimi naitwa Ali Bilali Binvenue, ama Karibu lakini pia Bona Reveil Matinale,

Anna berättar om Mindy Morgenstern som hittades mördad i sin lägenhet i Valley City, USA 2006. Karin berättar om morden på familjen Warunge i Kiambu, Kenya 2021.

#LegallyClueless Ep201 Join the Legally Clueless Africa community here: www.legallycluelessafrica.com/ Legally Clueless on Instagram: www.instagram.com/legallycluelessafrica/ Legally Clueless on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@legallycluelessafrica Subscribe to the Legally Clueless YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/c/LegallyCluelessYoutube Want to share your story on Legally Clueless? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/E7z2CZra87KKCoJBA Check out the "Shea Butter On Melanin" playlist here: open.spotify.com/playlist/3kZ1aDj…s4RGKteZbTbc2qMw On #100AfricanStories Viktart shares his journey to becoming one of Kenya's top muralists. Watch Viktart here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02JaBh9BHxs&t=1s Connect with Viktart here: https://twitter.com/ViktartMwangi

Redefining Women's Roles in Politics with Kiambu Women Rep Aspirant Alice Wangari Gathekia by Capital FM

Get ready to see something nasty in the woodshed, because this week we're talking about Cold Comfort Farm! Join us to learn about 1920s Kenya, horrible Jell-O dishes, and the Girl Guides. Plus, Sofia delivers a tutorial on reading tea leaves, which Jamie fails in spectacular fashion. Sources: 1920s Kenya: Brett L. Shadle, The souls of white folk: White settlers in Kenya, 1900s-1920s (Manchester University Press, 2015), https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv18b5hjh . Marc H. Dawson, "The 1920s Anti-Yaws Campaigns and Colonial Medical Policy in Kenya," The International Journal of African Historical Studies 20, no. 3 (1987): 417-35. https://www.jstor.org/stable/219687 C.J.D. Duder and C.P. Youe, "Paice's Place: Race and Politics in Nanyuki District, Kenya, in the 1920s," African Affairs 93, no. 371 (April 1994): 253-78. https://www.jstor.org/stable/723844 Martin S. Shanguhyia, "Integrating African Traditions in Environmental Control in Western Kenya: Contradictions and Failure in Colonial Policy, 1920-1963," The International Journal of African Historical Studies 49, no.1 (2016): 23-52. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44715441 John Overton, "The Origins of the Kikuyu Land Problem: Land Alienation and Land Use in Kiambu, Kenya, 1895-1920," African Studies Review 31, no.2 (September 1988): 109-26. https://www.jstor.org/stable/524421 Reading Tea Leaves: Laurel Dalrymple, "For Centuries, People Have Searched For Answers In The Bottom Of A Tea Cup," NPR (1 September 2015), https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/01/434621010/for-centuries-people-have-searched-for-answers-in-the-bottom-of-a-tea-cup . Cicely Kent, Telling Fortunes By Tea Leaves: How to Read Your Fate in a Teacup (New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1922. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Telling_Fortunes_by_Tea_Leaves/lrY2y1zHnWoC?hl=en&gbpv=0 Nicholas J. Crowley and Charles William Sharpe, "An old fortune-teller is reading a young woman's fortune by looking at tea leaves at the bottom of a cup." Engravings (1842). https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.24858455 Film Background: Roger Ebert, "Cold Comfort Farm," RogerEbert.com (24 May 1996). https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cold-comfort-farm-1996 Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1071769-cold_comfort_farm Wiki for John Schlesinger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Schlesinger Wiki for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Comfort_Farm_(film) Jell-O and Jellies: Macedoine and Other Eccentric Jellies, Food History Jottings: http://foodhistorjottings.blogspot.com/2013/06/macedoine-and-other-eccentric-victorian.html A High Victorian Dessert at Harewood: https://www.historicfood.com/events%202009-10.html Brette Warshaw, "Fancy Jello Dishes During the Great Depression," Food52, available at https://food52.com/blog/7616-fancy-jell-o-during-the-great-depression Sarah Grey, "The Social History of Jell-o Salad: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon," Serious Eats, available at https://www.seriouseats.com/history-of-jell-o-salad Emma Grahn and Caitlin Kearney, "Tasting the 1930s: An Experiment with Congealed Salads and Other One-Dish Wonders," National Museum of American History, available at https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/tasting-1930s-experiment-congealed-salads-and-other-one-dish-wonders Carolyn Wyman, "Jello: A Biography," Harvest Books, 2001. Girl Guides: Richard A. Voeltz, "The Antidote to Khaki Fever? The Expansion of British Girl Guides During the First World War," Journal of Contemporary History 27, 4 (1992) "100 Years of Girl Guides," The Guardian, available at https://www.theguardian.com/society/gallery/2009/aug/21/girl-guides-centenary

Jojo Estate from Kiambu, Kenya is our latest filter coffee. The farm is owned by Joseph Njoroge Njuguna (Jojo) and managed by his wife Irene. Aislinn from Melbourne Coffee Merchants tells us more about this farm and how coffee is produced in Kenya.Once you've listened test your knowledge in the quiz!

Guest: Dr Paula Kahumbu Prominent Kenyan environment activist, Joanna Stutchbury, has been shot dead near her home on the outskirts of Nairobi, after receiving several death threats.  The 67-year-old was campaigning against developers encroaching on the nearby Kiambu forest. Friends say she'd stopped her car to clear branches blocking her driveway when she was shot several times. in what appears to be a gangster-style attack. Though Kenya's natural heritage is a main source of tourist revenue, it is threatened by encroachment, squatters and developers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listener Gĩtaũ has a serious problem: every so often his home in Kiambu is invaded by an army of ants. They coat the floors, climb the walls, and rain down on Gĩtaũ and his family while they sleep. Gĩtaũ wants to know: Why are these ants torturing us? Entomologists Dino Martins and Piotr Naskrecki have answers. Special thanks to Caswell Munyai, Caspar Schöning, and Daniel Kronauer.This episode was initially posted on the eltshow.

Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, the Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that's its size. In most places, they're named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There's one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That's a bit different again, but it's usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. This year we will have the AA, AB, C and Peaberry from Kiriga - so big beans, medium beans, little beans and even littler beans! Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they're about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try the year before last for the first time and we were wow-ed - it's really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are super excited to have it again for another year. The Peaberry has previously been included in with the C, due to the similar size and smaller harvests, however this year the two have been separated out and there's enough of it to stand alone! All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys.  Blackcurrant jam in a cup. Super sweet with brown sugar and biscuit against the blackcurrant and then a little sprinkle of cocoa nibs on the aftertaste. Country: Kenya Region: Central Province District: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant jam, brown sugar, biscuit, cocoa nibs Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 87 Roast Information Medium - keep it fairly quick to highlight the acidity, or slow it down slightly if you want to develop some more of the jammy sweetness. Either way, finish the roast

Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, the Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that's its size. In most places, they're named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There's one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That's a bit different again, but it's usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. This year we will have the AA, AB, C and Peaberry from Kiriga - so big beans, medium beans, little beans and even littler beans! Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they're about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try the year before last for the first time and we were wow-ed - it's really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are super excited to have it again for another year. The Peaberry has previously been included in with the C, due to the similar size and smaller harvests, however this year the two have been separated out and there's enough of it to stand alone! All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys.  Blackcurrant jam in a cup. Super sweet with brown sugar and biscuit against the blackcurrant and then a little sprinkle of cocoa nibs on the aftertaste. Country: Kenya Region: Central Province District: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant jam, brown sugar, biscuit, cocoa nibs Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 87 Roast Information Medium - keep it fairly quick to highlight the acidity, or slow it down slightly if you want to develop some more of the jammy sweetness. Either way, finish the roast

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakunga's father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that’s it’s size. In most places, they’re named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There’s one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That’s a bit different again, but it’s usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. This year we will have the AA, AB, C and Peaberry from Kiriga this year - so big beans, medium beans, little beans and even littler beans! Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they’re about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try the year before last for the first time and we were wow-ed - it’s really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are super excited to have it again for another year. The Peaberry has previously been included in with the C, due to the similar size and smaller harvests, however this year the two have been separated out and there's enough of it to stand alone! All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result.  Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). This is rather like warm blackcurrant cordial, with just a hint of green apple alongside. There’s fruit sweetness throughout, but on the aftertaste that sweetness shifts darker into treacle toffee, so you have a bright but well-balanced cup. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AA & Ruiru 11 AA Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant cordial, green apple, treacle toffee Clean cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88 Roast Information Medium - keep it quick to highlight the acidity, taking it through the gap and pushing towards the edge of second, but don't let it get going.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakunga's father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that's it's size. In most places, they're named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There's one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That's a bit different again, but it's usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. This year we will have the AA, AB, C and Peaberry from Kiriga this year - so big beans, medium beans, little beans and even littler beans! Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they're about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try the year before last for the first time and we were wow-ed - it's really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are super excited to have it again for another year. The Peaberry has previously been included in with the C, due to the similar size and smaller harvests, however this year the two have been separated out and there's enough of it to stand alone! All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result.  Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). This is rather like warm blackcurrant cordial, with just a hint of green apple alongside. There's fruit sweetness throughout, but on the aftertaste that sweetness shifts darker into treacle toffee, so you have a bright but well-balanced cup. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AA & Ruiru 11 AA Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant cordial, green apple, treacle toffee Clean cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88 Roast Information Medium - keep it quick to highlight the acidity, taking it through the gap and pushing towards the edge of second, but don't let it get going.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has banned all inland travel in and out of five counties, including the capital Nairobi, to stop a surge of Covid-19 cases.He says No road, rail or air transport will be allowed until further notice, Mr Kenyatta said. He declared Nairobi, Kajiado, Kiambu, Machakos and Nakuru counties to be "disease-infested zones."All in-person meetings in the counties have been banned. International travel will continue on the condition that all passengers present negative Covid-19 certificates.The president has also increased curfew hours to now begin at 20:00 until 04:00 in the five counties and revoked all special passes that allowed people to travel during the restricted hours.

Makala hii imeangazia kuzikwa kwa aliyekuwa rais wa awamu ya tano wa Tanzania John Magufuli katika makaburi ya familia huko mjini Chato, mkoani Geita, Kaskazini Magharibi mwa Tanzania, na Huko Kenya kaunti tano, likiwemo jiji kuu Nairobi, Kajiado, Kiambu, Machakos na Nakuru, yalifungwa kuanzia Ijumaa ya marchi 26 kwa lengo la kupambana na ongezeko la maambukizi ya COVID-19 nchini humo, huku muda wa watu kutotembea katika kaunti hizo ni kati ya saa mbili usiku mpaka wa saa 10 Alfajiri.Hali nchini DRC, Uchaguzi wa Congo Brazzaville na kwingineko duniani yaliangaziwa katika makala haya

Hawana kisomo cha chuo kuu lakini ujuzi wao katika masuala ya teknolojia ya kuunda roboti inayoweza kusoma na kuelewa anachofikria mwanadamu na ni uvumbuzi ambao umewashangaza wengi. Moses Njoroge na David Gathu ni wavumbuzi walio na karakana yao ndogo eneo la Kikuyu kaunti ya Kiambu nje kidogo ya mji wa Nairobi nchini Kenya, ambapo kwa kipindi cha miaka 10 wamejikita katika kuunda roboti inayoweza kuwasaidia watu walio na ulemavu wa miguu na mikono kujihudumia. Mwandishi wetu nchini Kenya Jason Nyakundi amezungumza nao akianza na Moses.  

Sugar joins the conversations with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class from her home in Nairobi. She was born in Nairobi and grew up in Kiambu, just outside of Nairobi. After signing a deal with Phoenix Records in 2007, she would release three albums. While not new to the hip hop scene in Kenya, she is an underground artist who talks about navigating Kenya's entertainment industry. Nairobi has been praised for going through what some call a cultural renaissance as the music and arts scenes are gaining international attention. Sugar talks about being in the midst of that scene and navigating that scene as a woman. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugar_emcee/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sugar-emcee/tracks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQfC43VjtWIbvXVxYD-2YA Linktree: https://smarturl.it/4yviic Continue reading

Sugar joins the conversations with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class from her home in Nairobi. She was born in Nairobi and grew up in Kiambu, just outside of Nairobi. After signing a deal with Phoenix Records in 2007, she would release three albums. While not new to the hip hop scene in Kenya, she is an underground artist who talks about navigating Kenya's entertainment industry. Nairobi has been praised for going through what some call a cultural renaissance as the music and arts scenes are gaining international attention. Sugar talks about being in the midst of that scene and navigating that scene as a woman. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugar_emcee/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sugar-emcee/tracks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQfC43VjtWIbvXVxYD-2YA Linktree: https://smarturl.it/4yviic Continue reading

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that’s it’s size. In most places, they’re named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There’s one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That’s a bit different again, but it’s usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. We have AA, AB and C from Kiriga this year - so big beans, medium beans & little beans! You’ll also find quite a few peaberries in with the C (they didn’t separate them out into a different lot). Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they’re about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try last year for the first time and we were wow-ed - it’s really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are excited to be able to share it with you again, check it out here. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result.  Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). A delightful combination of blackberries and apples, this starts with juicy blackberries and blackcurrants. It's all got a sprinkling of soft dark sugar which will come to the fore as it cools, but on the finish and aftertaste is that green apple which balances the dark berries perfectly. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AA & Ruiru 11 AA Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Blackberry, blackcurrant, brown sugar, green apple Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 89 Roast Information Medium - through first and nicely into the gap, keeping the temperature going up fairly quickly to highlight the vibrant acidity. Finishing the roast just before second crack gets going.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that's it's size. In most places, they're named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There's one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That's a bit different again, but it's usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. We have AA, AB and C from Kiriga this year - so big beans, medium beans & little beans! You'll also find quite a few peaberries in with the C (they didn't separate them out into a different lot). Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they're about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try last year for the first time and we were wow-ed - it's really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are excited to be able to share it with you again, check it out here. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result.  Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). A delightful combination of blackberries and apples, this starts with juicy blackberries and blackcurrants. It's all got a sprinkling of soft dark sugar which will come to the fore as it cools, but on the finish and aftertaste is that green apple which balances the dark berries perfectly. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AA & Ruiru 11 AA Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Blackberry, blackcurrant, brown sugar, green apple Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 89 Roast Information Medium - through first and nicely into the gap, keeping the temperature going up fairly quickly to highlight the vibrant acidity. Finishing the roast just before second crack gets going.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that's it's size. In most places, they're named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There's one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That's a bit different again, but it's usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. We have AA, AB and C from Kiriga this year - so big beans, medium beans & little beans! You'll also find quite a few peaberries in with the C (they didn't separate them out into a different lot). Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they're about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try last year for the first time and we were wow-ed - it's really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are excited to be able to share it with you again, check it out here. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result.  Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). Starting off with a flash of bright grapefruit, the sweetness quickly comes in and it swings into a big mouthful of blood orange. The fruit flavours shift darker still with blackcurrant, which really fills out the aftertaste. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB CUPPING NOTES Grapefruit, blood orange, blackcurrant Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 7 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88.5 Roast Information Medium - through first and nicely into the gap, keeping the temperature going up fairly quickly to highlight the vibrant acidity. Finishing the roast just before second gets going.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. Like any natural product, each coffee bean is different - some bigger, some smaller, some longer, some rounder...that's lead coffee buyers many years ago to begin separating the coffee by the size of the bean. Throughout the world, this is done by screens - like a stack of flat colanders, with each layer having slightly smaller holes in it than the layer above. Whatever the smallest size a bean passes through, that’s it’s size. In most places, they’re named by 1/64th inch - so a screen 18+ means all the beans are 18/64th of an inch or bigger. Simple, right? Well...in Kenya they use the same screens, but give them different names. An “AA” is screen 17 and 18, an “AB” is screen 16 and 15 and anything smaller (but still a whole bean) is a “C”. There’s one more class you might have tried - “PB” or Peaberry. That’s a bit different again, but it’s usually separated from the other beans because the round cross-section of a peaberry lets it pass through the holes of a screen easily. We have AA, AB and C from Kiriga this year - so big beans, medium beans & little beans! You’ll also find quite a few peaberries in with the C (they didn’t separate them out into a different lot). Traditionally, the AA has got the highest prices (they’re about 15-20% of the crop), with AB being a bit cheaper and C going into commodity coffee. However, Brian from Kiriga sent us his C to try last year for the first time and we were wow-ed - it’s really sweet and nice - so we began buying it and are excited to be able to share it with you again, check it out here. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result.  Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). Starting off with a flash of bright grapefruit, the sweetness quickly comes in and it swings into a big mouthful of blood orange. The fruit flavours shift darker still with blackcurrant, which really fills out the aftertaste. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB CUPPING NOTES Grapefruit, blood orange, blackcurrant Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 7 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88.5 Roast Information Medium - through first and nicely into the gap, keeping the temperature going up fairly quickly to highlight the vibrant acidity. Finishing the roast just before second gets going.

Welcome to Recap, a brief overview of recent coffee developments every two weeks from the Specialty Coffee Association, made possible with the support of DaVinci.Special Thanks to Our Sponsor, DaVinciThis episode of Recap is made possible with support from DaVinci. With its heritage in specialty coffee and expertise in trends and menu innovation, DaVinci is the beverage brand of choice for the foodservice professional. Their product range is designed to provide end-to-end solutions and support specialty coffee professionals in their mission to create inspirational beverages. Follow us at DaVinci Europe, DaVinci North America, or using #WeAreDaVinciGourmet. Back in Episode 10, we noted that the inaugural Ethiopian Cup of Excellence competition was undeterred by the global pandemic, achieving a record number of both entries to the competition and buyers to the auction. The auction, which took place on June 25, also broke the record for total auction sales, raising US$1,248,690 across 28 lots. The previous record, US$830,245, was achieved during a 2011 El Salvador auction of 42 lots. The top-scoring coffee, a naturally processed coffee variety released by the Jimma Research Center in 1978, was grown by Niguse Gemeda Mude from Hayisa in Sidama. It achieved the highest price ever recorded for Ethiopian coffee, US$185.10 per pound or US$407 per kilo. While these prices appear to validate the investments and associated risks of quality, the ongoing climate crisis and global pandemic are a dual-threat to Ethiopia's coffee production. For example, Central and South American farmers are experiencing disruption directly to this year's harvest, particularly due to COVID-19 restrictions on the movement of skilled farm labor, but the Ethiopian harvest typically peaks in November-December. The Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority reports that COVID-19 is currently disrupting farmers' ability to apply inputs like fertilizers to their farms, the impact of which will probably be felt in future production across both quantity and quality. Meanwhile in Kenya, The Standard reports that coffee farmers in Kiambu, Githunguru, and Komothai have uprooted their coffee trees in protest of poor earnings. According to those interviewed, the farmers recently received US$0.13 per kilo for coffee that cost US$0.33 per kilo to produce. Citing a lack of support from cooperatives and county officials, the farmers highlighted that where they would have once received support in the form of fertilizers and tools, they now must look for access to loans to improve their farms--but even these, too, are now unavailable. They also pointed to significant delays in payments both to farmers and to mill workers as a source of concern. Those who have uprooted their trees have planted vegetables and avocados instead, while others are simply burning their trees for charcoal or leaving them unattended. A new study published in Global Change Biology suggests that Robusta is far more sensitive to temperature than previously thought. Built on 10 years of yield observations on almost 800 farms across Southeast Asia, the study suggests that the optimal temperature for Robusta is 20.5C, considerably lower than previously suggested optimal temperatures. The current estimates, which indicate a higher temperature tolerance, are based on historical botanical explorations in Central Africa. Worryingly, the study also reported that for every one-degree increase over this optimal temperature, yields decrease by 14 percent. One of the study's lead authors, Jarrod Kath, says the results call for a reassessment of how we can adapt coffee production to climate change. World Coffee Research has conducted a global consultation, encompassing nearly 140 interviews and 896 survey responses, to direct a five-year strategy for the organization. The summary of the consultation identifies four common global priorities: farmer profitability, origin diversity, quality, and climate adaptation. It also identifies research and development interests of coffee stakeholders by region, which include better access to improved varieties in Latin America, improved pest and disease control in Africa, and Robusta production in Asia. “Climate change is the defining issue of our time,” wrote World Coffee Research CEO Vern Long in a press release announcing the results of the consultation. “Everything agricultural R&D does must be oriented to address it and build resilience and diversity into coffee production systems.” This episode of Recap was made possible with the support of DaVinci. If you want to dive deeper into anything you heard today, check out the links in the description of this episode. Recap will be back in two weeks' time. Thanks for listening. Further Reading: Cup of Excellence hosts record-breaking inaugural Ethiopian auction on June 25, 2020 amid concern for future crops as COVID-19 impacts farm maintenance around the world Results: Ethiopia 2020 Cup of Excellence (Alliance for Coffee Excellence) Ethiopia Cup of Excellence Auction Raises More Than US$1 Million for Coffee Producers (Global Coffee Report)  First Ethiopia Cup of Excellence Auction Generates Record High US$1.34 Million (Daily Coffee News)  Ethiopia Cup of Excellence Breaks Records, Raises US$1.3m for Coffee Farmers (Comunicaffe)  Recap #10 |  How Cup of Excellence Held Its Competition in the Time of COVID-19 (Barista Magazine)  There's No Money in Posh Coffee for Growers Slammed by Pandemic (Bloomberg)  Coffee Farmers in Kenya have uprooted their trees in protest of poor earnings (The Standard)  A new study published in Global Change Biology suggests that Robusta is far more sensitive to temperature than previously thought  Not So Robust: Robusta Coffee Production is Highly Sensitive to Temperature (Global Change Biology)  Not So Robust: Robusta Coffee More Sensitive to Warming than Previously Thought (Phys Org / Science X) Robusta Coffee Beans May Not Be as Robust Against Climate Change as We Thought (Food & Wine)  Robusta Not As Heat Resilient As Once Believed, New Study Finds (Sprudge)  World Coffee Research announces four research priorities following a global consultation  World Coffee Research Global Consultation 2020 (World Coffee Research PDF Download)  WCR Listens to Industry Feedback with New Global Consultation (WCR News) 

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'. It's a big family that includes up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! Thirty percent of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate. Fifty percent of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily – past other estates – just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past, the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', Brian encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful, because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015, I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed his love of coffee and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate on to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organisation that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelt out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at coffee auctions and via indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality as a result. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'. It's a big family that includes up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! Thirty percent of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate. Fifty percent of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily – past other estates – just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past, the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', Brian encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding it helpful, because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015, I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and his eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and the family's pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania River. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee, the estate has shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, houses some bird life, and is the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened recently, in order to ensure the farm's high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result, we expect to see decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family', and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! Thirty percent of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and half of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else. Some commute a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past, the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether it can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available, and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015, I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup we're on a trip to Blackcurrant City!! There's an edge of black tea and a hint of cherry sweets on the finish, but blackcurrant screams and shouts all the way. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant, cherry, black tea Clean Cup: (1-8): 7 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 8 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6.5 Balance: (1-8): 6.5 Overall: (1-8): 7.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max 100): 91 Roast Information Medium - Through first and into the gap, but don't let this near second. A bit more development will highlight sweetness whilst keeping the pace quick will focus on that acidity - delicious either way.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. The boy, or Mr A. N. Gakunga, sadly passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and his eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and the family's pioneer coffee farmer. Dr Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers' organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania River. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out at a factory level, from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and indirect sale. In addition to growing coffee, the estate has shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, houses some bird life, and is the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened recently, in order to ensure the farm's high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015, the estate had changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result, we expect to see decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family', and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! Thirty percent of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and half of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else. Some commute a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past, the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether it can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available, and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful because there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015, I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup we're on a trip to Blackcurrant City!! There's an edge of black tea and a hint of cherry sweets on the finish, but blackcurrant screams and shouts all the way. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant, cherry, black tea Clean Cup: (1-8): 7 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 8 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6.5 Balance: (1-8): 6.5 Overall: (1-8): 7.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max 100): 91 Roast Information Medium - Through first and into the gap, but don't let this near second. A bit more development will highlight sweetness whilst keeping the pace quick will focus on that acidity - delicious either way.

Kiambu county is located just outside of Nairobi city. The region has a long history of coffee production and is really rather famous for its large estates, which were originally built by British colonists in the early 20th century. After decolonisation, the estates were sold to local Kenyans who have been managing them since. While estates such as this used to produce the majority of Kenyan coffee, the increased urban sprawl from Nairobi, as well as the increasing land value in the region has meant that estate coffee production has gradually diminished, while smallholder production elsewhere has increased. Nevertheless, estates such as Kamundu Estate continue a legacy of many generations of coffee production, supported by unparalleled local knowledge and experience. This coffee is naturally processed on raised African beds. Natural processing is quite rare in Kenya, it's much more common to see fully washed coffees. Ripe cherries are selectively harvested and floated to select only the ripest, highest quality cherries for processing. These cherries are placed in a single layer on raised drying beds and dried in the sun for up to 6 weeks. The cherries must be manually turned periodically every day to ensure an even drying and prevent mould formation. Once the coffee has reached its optimum moisture content it is rested before being hulled, graded further by hand, and finally bagged in GrainPro for export. In the cup this really is blackcurrant squash. Blackcurrants are front and centre, but there's also a little hint of rhubarb in there. All that's wrapped up neatly by a super interesting blueberry aftertaste. Country: Kenya Region: Kiambu Estate: Kamundu Estate Size: 155 hectares Altitude: 1,950 m.a.s.l. Varietal: SL 34 Grade: Kenya AB Screen Size: 16 Processing method: Sundried Natural - Raised African Beds Soil: Rich, volcanic, red and sandy soil CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant squash, rhubarb, blueberry. Clean cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roast Information Medium - through first and well into the gap, but drop this before you get to second.

Kiambu county is located just outside of Nairobi city. The region has a long history of coffee production and is really rather famous for its large estates, which were originally built by British colonists in the early 20th century. After decolonisation, the estates were sold to local Kenyans who have been managing them since. While estates such as this used to produce the majority of Kenyan coffee, the increased urban sprawl from Nairobi, as well as the increasing land value in the region has meant that estate coffee production has gradually diminished, while smallholder production elsewhere has increased. Nevertheless, estates such as Kamundu Estate continue a legacy of many generations of coffee production, supported by unparalleled local knowledge and experience. This coffee is naturally processed on raised African beds. Natural processing is quite rare in Kenya, it's much more common to see fully washed coffees. Ripe cherries are selectively harvested and floated to select only the ripest, highest quality cherries for processing. These cherries are placed in a single layer on raised drying beds and dried in the sun for up to 6 weeks. The cherries must be manually turned periodically every day to ensure an even drying and prevent mould formation. Once the coffee has reached its optimum moisture content it is rested before being hulled, graded further by hand, and finally bagged in GrainPro for export. In the cup this really is blackcurrant squash. Blackcurrants are front and centre, but there's also a little hint of rhubarb in there. All that's wrapped up neatly by a super interesting blueberry aftertaste. Country: Kenya Region: Kiambu Estate: Kamundu Estate Size: 155 hectares Altitude: 1,950 m.a.s.l. Varietal: SL 34 Grade: Kenya AB Screen Size: 16 Processing method: Sundried Natural - Raised African Beds Soil: Rich, volcanic, red and sandy soil CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant squash, rhubarb, blueberry. Clean cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roast Information Medium - through first and well into the gap, but drop this before you get to second.

AMAYIA AGR MONDAY , EBITAGE KIAMBU NA CHIGOSORI.mp3

Highlights the Audit Queries from the Kiambu County expenditure --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This episode seeks to address the non-payment of Kiambu county Enforcement officers employed under the current Governor's (Ferdinand Waititu) tenure who have not been paid for the last for months. Could it be that the county is broke, doesn't want to pay or someone else is pocketing their pay in dubious ways? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

From the famous Bata shoe industries to the Bidco plant to the genesis of Chief Waiyaki wa Hinga, there is never a dull moment in county 022 aka Kiambu. This thriving county is growing as a residential area with more Nairobi workers seeking houses in Kiambu town, Ruiru, Thika and Limuru. Photo By: Brian Karuiru Narrated By: Edwin Kimani Chege

Listen to the AD-Free version of this podcast here: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0BRfO7Z1zvnWIvuMEjd8sk Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/asmr-sleep-relax-meditation/id1459683796?ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9hNTQyNzIwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/asmr-sleep-relax-meditation RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/asmr-sleep-relax-meditation-Gb14xk Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1459683796/asmr-sleep-relax-meditation We are on all major podcasts platforms if you do a search for "Sugafly" you will find our podcasts. ------------------------------------ Welcome to the 29th episode of ASMR Sleep Recordings. In this episode, you will hear a waterfall in Kiambu, Kenia. Watch the video version of this podcast (no still images) here: https://sugafly.net/youtube What type of sound do you miss on our podcast? Leave a comment in the review ☔ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015 the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful, as there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015 I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen : ) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup it starts with Ribena. There's a shoulder of orange there too and some dark fruit sweetness. On the aftertaste, that fruit sweetness shifts into soft brown sugar. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB CUPPING NOTES Ribena, orange, brown sugar. Clean Cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium - through first crack, let it develop and then drop it once you get into the gap. "Quick Look" Guide Ribena, orange, brown sugar.

The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmers organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015 the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful, as there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015 I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen : ) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Hasblog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup it starts with Ribena. There's a shoulder of orange there too and some dark fruit sweetness. On the aftertaste, that fruit sweetness shifts into soft brown sugar. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB CUPPING NOTES Ribena, orange, brown sugar. Clean Cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium - through first crack, let it develop and then drop it once you get into the gap. "Quick Look" Guide Ribena, orange, brown sugar.

Well hello there everyone, Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga Estate in Kenya :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015 the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful, as there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015 I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen : ) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup expect a rush of blackcurrant Ribena alongside a chocolate sweetness that's perfectly balanced with a great body. The finish has a delicate black pepper spiciness that's delicate but adds plenty of interest. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AA & Ruiru 11 AA Processing method: Washed

Well hello there everyone, Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga Estate in Kenya :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015 the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful, as there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015 I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen : ) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup expect a rush of blackcurrant Ribena alongside a chocolate sweetness that's perfectly balanced with a great body. The finish has a delicate black pepper spiciness that's delicate but adds plenty of interest. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: SL28 AA & Ruiru 11 AA Processing method: Washed

Well hello there everyone, Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga Estate in Kenya :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015 the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful, as there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015 I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen : ) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup this kicks off with a tropical fruit like sweetness and acidity, then a creamy base note of dark chocolate that finishes with lemon pithiness. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB

Well hello there everyone, Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga Estate in Kenya :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. About 60% of the coffee that the estate produces is AA/AB. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of 2015 the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; and it's a big family that reaches up to 180 people at the busiest times of year! 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. Many of the estate farms around Kiriga have been sold off to make housing estates. Whilst this is a challenge for the future, in the immediate period Brian is actually finding this helpful, as there are more skilled pickers available (who were working on the other farms). During my visit to Kenya in 2015 I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen : ) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup this kicks off with a tropical fruit like sweetness and acidity, then a creamy base note of dark chocolate that finishes with lemon pithiness. Country: Kenya County: Muranga Constituency: Gatanga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Varietals: SL28 AB & Ruiru 11 AB

We're now two months away from the 2017 General Election, so we thought we'd do a status check. As we've learnt from past Kenyan elections, and recent elections worldwide, election coverage is very important, and we’ve seen media coverage get used to results in wild directions. So today, we ask and answer a few questions. Why is this election important? Who are the key players? What is at stake? Press play! Resources Statistics of Voters IEBC Registered Voters Per Constituency 2017 Half of 19mn Kenyan voters are from Rift Valley, Eastern and Central 1,500 Kenyans in diaspora listed as voters Party primaries slotted for April as IEBC reviews timelines ahead of polls IEBC releases final new voters figures, Nairobi and Kiambu lead IEBC clears 914 candidates in first day of nominations IEBC campaign spending limits for candidates Know your new IEBC commissioners

We meet a chef who can't wait to walk away from her prestigious Michelin star rating and a web developer who singlehandedly orchestrated one of the biggest fast food comebacks his hometown has ever seen. Follow along at slack.com/podcast and @slackstories. Let us know what you think of the show by leaving us ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating or review in iTunes. This episode also features Mathara Holdings, a family business operating out of Kiambu, Kenya.

Well hello there, children. Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga coffee estate in Kenya. :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga coffee estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of last year (2015) the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. During my visit to Kenya last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup you can expect fruit – ALL the fruit! It starts off with blackcurrant and is creamy, smooth and balanced with a fantastic body and structure. Then there's a delicious white grape / green apple acidity, a whopping citrus delight, and a black cherry finish. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietal: SL28 AA Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Blackcurrant, creamy, smooth, balanced, white grape, green apple, black cherry. Clean Cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 8 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 7 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 7 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 8 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 94

Well hello there, children. Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga coffee estate in Kenya. :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and his pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga coffee estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Muranga county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of last year (2015) the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. During my visit to Kenya last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup you can expect fruit – ALL the fruit! It starts off with blackcurrant and is creamy, smooth and balanced with a fantastic body and structure. Then there's a delicious white grape / green apple acidity, a whopping citrus delight, and a black cherry finish. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietal: SL28 AA Processing method: Washed

Well hello there, children. Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga coffee estate in Kenya. :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realised this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and a pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga coffee estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Murang'a county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and for direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of last year (2015) the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. During my visit to Kenya last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup expect a lovely, lush and creamy mouthfeel, with a summer fruit kick of peach and apricot. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed

Well hello there, children. Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! So sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga coffee estate in Kenya. :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga estate was planted in approximately 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than ten kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the chief for the larger Murang'a county) helped his father – Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori – plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location 1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years went by and the young boy grew up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio road and, as he rode past the vast – by now well-established – coffee estates, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realised this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death, Mr. Gakunga had passed on the love of coffee, and the mantle of Kiriga coffee estate, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son out of his six children. According to Kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was both his grandfather and a pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, which is a national farmer's organization that works to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, he was the then-Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold. He's also currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers' Network. Africa Coffee Farmers' Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga coffee estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres northeast of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga coffee estate is in the Gatanga constituency of Murang'a county, and it's separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality). The farm has an estimated two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (which has improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28, but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. All coffee activities at Kiriga are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, and planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and for direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees – despite the crippling electricity costs involved – during the dry season that happened earlier this year, in order to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of last year (2015) the estate changed the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return gave a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' had to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about is the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement, 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and, if successful, it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. During my visit to Kenya last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it, too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian and Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup expect a lovely, lush and creamy mouthfeel, with a summer fruit kick of peach and apricot. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550–1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed

Hello children, Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! Sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga Coffee Estate in Kenya. :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted around 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than 10 kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the Chief for the larger Muranga) helped his father, Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori, plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years later the young boy had grown up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio Road and as he rode past the vast coffee estates, then well established, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death Mr. Gakunga had passed on the mantle at Kiriga Coffee Estate, and the love of coffee, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son of his six children. According to kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was his grandfather and Gatangaís' pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, a national farmers organization that worked to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, the then Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold, and currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers Network. Africa Coffee Farmers Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Coffee Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts Hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres north east of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga Coffee Estate is in Gatanga Constituency of Muranga county and separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality) with an estimate two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28 but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. At Kiriga all coffee activities are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. During the dry season that happened earlier this year Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees despite the crippling electricity costs involved, to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of this year (2015) the estate will change the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return will give a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' will have to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about was the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and if successful it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. During my visit to Kenya last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian & Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian & Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup you can expect fruit, ALL the fruit! Starts off with blackcurrant but a very tart blackcurrant (almost like a blackcurrant sour beer) but then it shifts to more of a white grape / green apple before finishing with a shoulder of gooseberry, a whopping citrus delight. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest Town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550 - 1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietal: SL28 AA Processing Method: Washed

Hello children, Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! Sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga Coffee Estate in Kenya. :) The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted around 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than 10 kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the Chief for the larger Muranga) helped his father, Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori, plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born! Several years later the young boy had grown up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio Road and as he rode past the vast coffee estates, then well established, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them. He realized this dream in 1976. Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death Mr. Gakunga had passed on the mantle at Kiriga Coffee Estate, and the love of coffee, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son of his six children. According to kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was his grandfather and Gatangaís' pioneer coffee farmer. Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, a national farmers organization that worked to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena. Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, the then Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold, and currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers Network. Africa Coffee Farmers Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers. The Kiriga Coffee Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts Hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres north east of Nairobi. Administratively, Kiriga Coffee Estate is in Gatanga Constituency of Muranga county and separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river. Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality) with an estimate two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28 but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety. At Kiriga all coffee activities are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale. In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys. During the dry season that happened earlier this year Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees despite the crippling electricity costs involved, to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather. By the end of this year (2015) the estate will change the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return will give a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' will have to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality. At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga. Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about was the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs. Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and if successful it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life. During my visit to Kenya last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it too! Make sure to have a listen. :) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian & Peter from Kiriga (Part 1) Has Blog: An Interview with Brian & Peter from Kiriga (Part 2) In the cup you can expect fruit, ALL the fruit! Starts off with blackcurrant but a very tart blackcurrant (almost like a blackcurrant sour beer) but then it shifts to more of a white grape / green apple before finishing with a shoulder of gooseberry, a whopping citrus delight. Country: Kenya Constituency: Gatanga County: Muranga Nearest Town: Thika Estate: Kiriga Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga Altitude: 1,550 - 1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietal: SL28 AA Processing Method: Washed

Kiambu Dickerson is a NY based Orthopedic Massage Therapist who incorporates methods from internationally recognized teachers such as Tom Myers, James Waslaski, Erik Dalton and Jerry Hesch. And as if that's not enough he also raps in his spare time!

Get Open was founded in 1994 by producer and MC Siba, producer on the triple  platinum and Grammy nominated album "Whitey Ford Sing the Blues, by Everlast (House of Pain).  The group is comprised of three season musicains: Dimitri aka Zook, Kiambu and VonMeista.  Since the group's conception, Get Open has headlined all across the globe and has opened for icons such as KRS-1, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Tha Alkoholics and Special Ed.  They have worked with composer Saundi Wilson, Jazz Trumpeter, Lester Bowie, Main Concept (Germany), IAM (France) and many others.  They speak with Bodega Fresh Sunday - 7PM.  

This Hip-Hop collective has been in existence since 1994, Get Open was founded by SibaGiba when he was studying music at SUNY Purchase College. He met the other 4 original members in school; Kiambu, VonMeista, Zook, Los and DJ Jes Lover. Get Open has traveled and performed as headliners in Germany and France over the years and has also opened for artists such as KRS 1/BDP, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Tha Alkoholiks, Special Ed, and many others in the US. Through a collaboration with composer Saundi Wilson who also attended Purchase, Get Open was featured with the late Jazz Trumpeter Lester Bowie's creation: Hip-Hop Feel-Harmonic orchestra in 1995, which assembled more than 40 musicians and Get Open. During our senior year, 1996, we released our first 12inch vinyl single. It caught the attention of West coasts DJs like J.Rocc, DJ Numark,Truly Odd, Peanut Butter Wolf  and T-Love the MC and journalist at URB magazine. From that single, Yellow Productions offered the group an EP deal which went on to sell 5,000 units in Europe without any promo. It featured Sadat X of Brand Nubian. During this time, Siba was enjoying great success after producing for Everlast's (House of Pain) multi platinum and grammy nominated album "Whitey Ford Sings The Blues". Overtime Records Inc was born and released a solo 12 inch single of VonMeista featuring Sadat X in association with Ozone Music (Co-Flow-El P, Mike Ladd, etc…).  Although still making music seperately, the group has been on a hiatus since 2001. Siba formed Brüknahm with Mr Saundi Wilson, worked the Jettsonz Productions (Nina Sky, Sean Paul) and in 2009 co-founded a non-profit organization, the Hip-Hop Loves Foundation.