The Riakiberu washing station, run by the Kamacharia Farmers’ Cooperative Society, was built in 1994 and currently processes coffee from 1,542 smallholder farmers during the harvest season. The plantations of the Kamacharia area of ​​Murang’a County are located at an average altitude of 1,650

metres above sea level. The growing region is characterised by red volcanic soil rich in minerals and organic compounds, an annual rainfall of around 1,200 mm and temperatures ranging from 16 to 26 °C. These conditions favour slow ripening of the coffee cherries, promoting dense beans, pleasant

sweetness, and lively acidity. Farmers grow mainly the SL28 variety and, in smaller proportions, Batian and Ruiru 11. Carefully hand-selected, fully ripe cherries are processed using a wet method: the pulp is removed, followed by fermentation and thorough washing. The coffee is then placed on

raised African drying beds, where it dries slowly in the sun, with regular rotation. To ensure proper drying, the coffee is covered during the hottest part of the day and at night. The region has two harvest seasons per year: the early harvest is harvested between March and May, and the main

harvest between October and December.