Privem Estate AB

Privem Estate is a family affair. The first name you’ll see is Patrick Makundi – he’s the face, the heart and cupper in the family. But if you are looking to learn more about the farm, the first person you’ll meet is his wife Rita Makundi – she’s the one who gets it done. The first person she’ll invite you to meet is her mother – who is the farm manager. And it goes on from there to include brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and cousins – making Privem Estate more of a town center than coffee farm.

Raised in Embu Country, educated on coffee, Rita and Patrick returned to their home to found Privem Estate in 2012. Parcels in Embu are small, and it took two generations for the family to accrue 23 acres of adjoining land on a high plateau with clear views of Mt. Kenya. This was enough that, by 2018, they were able to secure their own pulping license, allowing them to separate from the local cooperative and invest in their own wet mill.