Embu County
Mount Kenya slopes produce premium Arabica—2025 prices hit KSh 148/kg as infrastructure investments pay off. By 2026: renaissance sustained or temporary bounce.
Embu exists because Mount Kenya exists. The eastern slopes of Africa's second-highest peak create the altitude, rainfall, and volcanic soils that produce some of Kenya's finest Arabica coffee. The Embu people settled these highlands centuries ago, developing irrigation and terracing systems that would later support cash crop cultivation.
Coffee arrived in the colonial period and never left. The deep red volcanic soils between 1,280 and 1,900 meters produce beans with the characteristic Mt. Kenya flavor profile—bright acidity, complex fruit notes—that command premium prices in specialty markets. Cooperative societies organized farmers: Kirimiri, Rianjagi, Kanjugu, Muramuki, and others built the processing infrastructure that transforms cherry to exportable green beans.
2025 marked recovery after years of struggle. Governor Cecily Mbarire noted that no factory paid less than KSh 100 per kilogram, with some reaching KSh 148—a dramatic improvement from previous seasons. The county government allocated KSh 28 million for coffee infrastructure through NAVCDP, while World Bank funding added KSh 75.9 million for eco-pulping machines, drying beds, and security systems. Deputy President Kindiki announced the waiver of KSh 176 million in Embu Coffee Mills debt.
The county exhibits the coffee sector's classic infrastructure-quality-price spiral: better processing yields higher quality, which commands better prices, which funds further investment. By 2026, Embu's coffee renaissance depends on whether cooperative reforms and infrastructure investment can sustain improvement—or whether the gains prove temporary.