Reformed brewers to start Sh4.5m maize mill plant

By Fred Kibor

Elgeyo/Marakwet, Kenya: A group of women who reformed from production and consumption of illicit brews in Elgeyo/ Marakwet now plan to establish a Sh4.5 million maize milling plant in the county.

They have embarked on the ambitious project aimed at adding value to maize, which they previously stored for use in production of illicit brews notably busaa and chang’aa.

The reformed women now want to engage themselves in business activities through packaging maize produce in form of flour for sale in readily available market.

The 283 women went through a rehabilitation programme at an Eldoret-based recovery centre and promised to look for alternative sources of livelihood other than illicit trade that subjected them to relentless arrests by the provincial administration.

They said the trade had been an economic setback due to the hefty fines they paid after being charged in courts whenever they were arrested and the brews seized by the authorities.

At the recovery centre, the women were taught entrepreneurship skills and sensitised on the importance of forming groups so as to benefit from Government grants.

Already, the Elgeyo/Marakwet government has given the women a head start by donating Sh2 million towards the project.

The money will be channeled through the Gracious Empowerment Women Organisation (Gewo) that is working with the county government to empower the reformed illicit alcohol brewers.

According to the County Executive in charge of Youth, Sports, Women and Social Services Shadrack Yatich, the county has allocated the money to benefit the women in the four constituencies.

“This is to fulfill our pledge to economically empower women who quit illicit brew business through engagement in alternative meaningful initiatives,” he said.

Bridge gap

Gewo coordinator Elizabeth Keitany said the women had also started saving towards the maize-milling project by contributing Sh10 every day over the last one year.

“There are 283 of us and by contributing Sh10 every day for 365 days, we will have over Sh1 million. If we add the Sh2 million from the county government, we will have a shortfall of only Sh1.5 million,” said the coordinator.

Ms Keitany said they were looking for well wishers to bridge the gap, saying they want to raise the money by April next year.

“We have carried out research and established that the milling plant we are targeting costs Sh4.5 million to establish. Once we launch and start selling the packaged maize flour, women will be self-sufficient,” she added.