The range
The Rwenzori mountains run for about 120 kilometres along Uganda's western border, rising to 5,109 metres at Margherita Peak — Africa's third-highest summit and, unlike Elgon, not volcanic. Coffee grows on the foothills and lower slopes between roughly 1,400 and 2,200 metres in Kasese, Bundibugyo, Kabarole, Ntoroko and Bunyangabu districts. Rainfall is bimodal, with two wet seasons, which gives the region two harvests and a supply pattern different from Mount Elgon.
Farming and processing
Coffee here is grown by smallholders, many of them Bakonzo communities on the eastern slopes, on steep, terraced gardens under shade. Historically most cherry was sun-dried at home and sold as Drugar (natural Uganda Arabica). Over the past two decades washing stations run by cooperatives, exporters and social enterprises have expanded, and washed Rwenzori — sold as Wugar or, from the best stations, as Rwenzori AA — has become a recognised specialty origin. Both processes remain important: Drugar for its body and sweetness, washed lots for clarity.
Harvest windows
Two harvests a year, roughly March to June and October to December, with the main crop varying by slope and altitude. Fresh Rwenzori lots therefore arrive twice a year, which lets roasters hold a Uganda Arabica position with shorter storage. Exact windows are confirmed per lot; see the harvest calendar.
Cup
Washed Rwenzori is fuller and rounder than Bugisu, with darker fruit — plum, blackberry — cocoa and a rounded rather than sharp acidity; the best lots are complex and sweet. Drugar from the region is heavy, sweet and dried-fruit-forward with low acidity. We publish descriptors and scores only from cupping reports for the lot on offer.
Grades from the Rwenzori
- Rwenzori AA — origin-graded washed Arabica from the best stations; reported export value US$13.34 per kilogram in December 2025, the highest of Uganda's Arabica grades (MAAIF export report).
- Wugar — washed Uganda Arabica.
- Drugar — natural Uganda Arabica, of which the Rwenzori is the main source.
- Robusta grows at lower altitude in Kasese and neighbouring districts and enters the standard screen grades.
Traceability
Washing-station delivery records and the national farmer registration programme support lot-level traceability and EUDR geolocation in this region; home-dried Drugar aggregated by traders is harder to trace to plot level. Traceability level is stated per lot.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Rwenzori mountains?
On Uganda's western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Lake Albert and Lake Edward. The coffee districts are Kasese, Bundibugyo, Kabarole, Ntoroko and Bunyangabu on the Ugandan side.
Why does Rwenzori coffee have two harvests?
The region's rainfall is bimodal — two wet seasons a year — so trees flower and fruit twice, giving harvests in roughly March–June and October–December.
What is Rwenzori AA?
Origin-graded fully washed Arabica from the best Rwenzori washing stations, screen-graded to the AA standard. It commanded the highest reported export unit value of any Uganda Arabica grade in December 2025 (US$13.34/kg, MAAIF).
How does Rwenzori coffee differ from Bugisu?
Rwenzori washed lots are fuller-bodied with darker fruit and rounder acidity; Bugisu is brighter with blackcurrant and winey acidity. The Rwenzori also produces most of Uganda's natural Drugar, which Mount Elgon largely does not.
Is Rwenzori coffee traceable for EUDR?
Lots from washing stations with delivery records and registered, mapped farmers can be supplied with plot geolocation and legality evidence; trader-aggregated home-dried coffee is harder to trace. Ask about the traceability level of a specific lot.