County on Mount Elgon's Kenyan side where volcanic soils and cooperatives like Chwele feed a fast-growing western supply of washed SL28 and SL34.
Bungoma sits on the Kenyan side of Mount Elgon. It delivered about 2.36 million kg in 2023/24, 4.8% of the total, and 2.21 million kg of that came through smallholder cooperatives. One Chwele cooperative lot lists 1,600-1,900 m, SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11, washed, on volcanic soil with about 1,500 mm of rain mostly from March to August.
Field notes
- i
Bungoma's auction volume rose 97% in the 2025/26 season.
- ii
Chwele is a farmer cooperative that doubles as a trading centre for farmers from the foothills of Mount Elgon.
In the cup, according to guides
- CaramelOften notedOne Chwele lot is described with banana, honey and caramel notes.
Processing
Sources · 4 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Coffee production in Kenya · Wikipedia
- Ten counties produced 91 per cent of Kenya's coffee output in 2023/2024 · Kenya News Agency (reporting Agriculture and Food Authority data)
- Kericho emerges as Kenya's leading coffee producer as NCE records growth · Kenya News Agency
- KRV | Kenya Bungoma Rift Valley · Driftaway Coffee