Five-Acre Farm Turns Job Seeker into Agribusiness Mentor
In Sanjweru Village in Gwassi South Ward, Homa Bay County, a five-acre farm owned by Eunice Ondere has become a powerful example of how small-scale agriculture can create employment and inspire rural entrepreneurship. Once a frustrated job seeker, Ondere transformed her modest piece of land into a thriving agribusiness venture that now serves as a training hub for aspiring farmers across the region.
Her farm integrates several enterprises, including crop production and aquaculture, allowing her to maximise productivity while minimising waste. Water from fish ponds irrigates crops, while organic waste from the farm enriches the soil and improves fertility. As a result, the integrated system supports consistent production even in the relatively dry conditions of the Lake Victoria basin.
Moreover, Ondere has converted her success into a mentorship platform for young people and local farmers who want to enter agribusiness. Through demonstrations and training sessions held on the farm, she shares practical skills in climate-smart agriculture, water harvesting, and enterprise diversification. Her journey from unemployment to successful farmer increasingly demonstrates that agriculture can offer sustainable livelihoods and new opportunities for rural youth across Kenya.
Source: Nation Africa
Women Entrepreneurs Transform Farming in Samburu and Laikipia
Several women entrepreneurs in Samburu County and Laikipia County are reshaping agriculture through livestock production, beekeeping, and irrigated crop farming. In regions frequently affected by drought and historically dominated by pastoralism, these women are building resilient agribusiness ventures that generate income and strengthen household food security.
One entrepreneur has established a commercial beekeeping operation that produces honey for domestic markets while also exporting to the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, another farmer has converted previously dry land into a productive farm through irrigation, growing onions and other vegetables for regional markets. By diversifying their enterprises, the women maintain stable income streams even when unpredictable rainfall disrupts traditional farming systems.
Importantly, their success is also influencing broader community transformation. Their farms now function as practical demonstration sites where other farmers learn about modern agricultural practices, value addition, and market linkages. Development organisations working in the region say such initiatives are helping empower women economically while promoting sustainable agriculture in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands.
Source: Nation Africa
Murang’a Farmer Turns Innovation into Agricultural Success
A young farmer from Gatura in Gatanga Sub-county, Murang’a County, is demonstrating how innovation and determination can transform small-scale farming into a profitable enterprise. At just 31, John Maina has turned a four-acre family farm into a productive agribusiness despite steep terrain, limited water resources, and shared family land.
Maina grows high-value horticultural crops such as lettuce, cabbage, and bell peppers while also keeping dairy cows to diversify income streams. In 2019, he and his brother invested in two 100,000-litre water pans, terraced their land, and planted Napier grass to control soil erosion and conserve water.
With technical support from the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund, the farm adopted conservation practices that protect the surrounding watershed while improving productivity. These measures also safeguard the Chania River basin, which plays a vital role in the region’s water system.
Today, Maina earns approximately Sh50,000 each month from dairy farming alone. He has used the income to improve his family’s living conditions, build a modern house, and support his children’s education. In addition, his farm now serves as a training ground where he mentors dozens of young people interested in horticulture and sustainable farming.
Source: The Star
New Law Sparks Hope for Revival of Pyrethrum Sector
Pyrethrum farmers across Kenya have welcomed a new legal reform aimed at revitalising the country’s once-thriving pyrethrum industry. The reform follows the repeal of the Pyrethrum Act 2013 and the introduction of a new regulatory framework designed to simplify oversight and attract fresh investment into the sector.
Leaders of the Pyrethrum Growers Association say the previous law created bureaucratic hurdles and overlapping mandates that discouraged farmers and slowed industry expansion. Under the revised framework, licensing and regulatory functions will operate within the broader agricultural oversight system under the Agriculture and Food Authority.
The crop, valued for the natural insecticide pyrethrin extracted from its flowers, is widely cultivated in highland regions such as Nakuru County. Local authorities and private companies have already launched initiatives to revive production by distributing millions of seedlings and expanding processing capacity.
With regulatory barriers removed, stakeholders expect renewed investment across the value chain. Consequently, the sector could regain its position as a major source of income for farmers and an important contributor to Kenya’s agricultural economy.
Source: The Star
Strategic Outlook
This edition of the Kenya agribusiness weekly roundup highlights how innovation, entrepreneurship, and policy reform continue to reshape the agricultural sector. Individual farmers are proving that integrated farming and climate-smart practices can transform small holdings into profitable enterprises. At the same time, women entrepreneurs in arid regions are expanding the boundaries of what is possible in challenging environments.
Meanwhile, supportive policies such as the revival of the pyrethrum industry show how regulatory reform can unlock dormant value chains and attract investment. When combined with grassroots innovation and mentorship, these developments demonstrate the growing potential of agribusiness to drive employment, rural development, and food security across Kenya.