Just a short drive from the heart of Nairobi lies the little-known origins of Kenya's biggest export - tea. Situated at 7,200 ft., 350 acres of land was bought from the colonial government by McDonell in 1910, now known as Kiambethu farm. He was the first person to grow, make and sell tea commercially in Kenya. Five generations have lived on the Kiambethu farm at Limuru and the family has been hosting tea tours since the 1960s and it is currently run by his granddaughter Fiona Vernon. Though the farm size has reduced to 30 acres, Fiona is a delightful host and guide, who in her youth most vehemently insisted that she wouldn't come back home to give tea tours, gives a regaling explanation of the history of the farm and eclectic process of making tea, while sipping a cup of piping hot tea. While strolling through the tea farm, enshrouded with a mist on that chilly morning, the most adorable dog follows you around. The Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Kiambethu Tea Farm has a sword disguised as an umbrella. It has an astonishing resemblance to Hagrid's pink umbrella! While Hagrid uses it to cast magic, he uses it to chase away folks trying to steal medicinal herbs and plants from the indigenous forest.
One interesting fact of Kenyan tea is that its roots actually lie in colonial India when one of McDonell's friends, brought a sampling of the Assam Tea from India with him as a gift. McDonell planted his acres with it and these samplings took to the African soil with vigor and thrived, growing into what we now know as Kenyan tea.