Paul Muthathai Ngarutua established the Ngarutua farm in the 1940s, during Kenya’s colonial period under British rule. At the time, native Kenyans like Paul were only permitted to plant up to 100 coffee trees. Following Kenya’s independence in the 1960s, the law changed, allowing Paul to significantly expand the farm’s coffee production. During this period of expansion, Ngarutua sold its cherries to a cooperatively owned “coffee factory” for processing.

After Paul’s passing, his wife, Dina, took over the farm’s operations. She eventually passed the farm on to their son, Peterson Muthathai, who, along with his wife, Purity, has continued the family tradition of making strategic investments in the farm. In 1994, they established a small on-farm washing station, enabling them to process their own coffee. This step gave them more agency over the quality of their coffee and where it was sold. Over the years, the couple has nearly doubled the size of the farm and planted higher-quality SL28 & SL34 varieties. 

Their impact extends beyond the farm. Peterson serves as the president of Kushikamana, an collaborative group of farmers located in the eastern and central regions of Kenya working together to improve the quality of their coffees. Recently, Peterson has taken on a leadership role at the Kenya Planters Cooperative Union, a cooperatively owned dry mill that prepares coffee for export. 

We are privileged to work with such visionary and entrepreneurial farmers in Kenya, people who are continuously striving to add value to the product they produce and spread that ethos to their community. Ngarutua exemplifies excellence in one of the world’s premier origins of coffee.