Sugarcane juice is the latest hit in Limuru town

Samuel Kangau preparing sugarcane and greens juice at his shop in Limuru town (George Njunge / standard)

With the promise to boost libido and kill that nasty hangover, every man wants a glass of it.

The brains behind it, Samuel Kangau, popularly referred to as daktari wa kutoa lock,  is minting money as customers flock his shop.

When The Nairobian caught up with him, he was busy squeezing sugarcane juice and blending it with green vegetables, including spinach, managu, ginger, terere,  cabbages, aloe vera and pumpkin seeds.

Kangau revealed that he learnt of the ‘magic juice’ while he was working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he worked as a long distance truck driver. 

 “It is in Congo where I learnt this trade. As truck drivers, we flocked a certain joint where we would take the  juice to cure our hangover. The place used to be full and I was very curious about trying it out back home,” Kangau said.

After conducting business research, he realised there was a market.

He quit his job, took a leap of faith and decided to try out the business in Kenya.

Armed with his Sh200,000 savings, he bought several blenders and a sugarcane crushing machine and set up a business in Limuru town.

And his business has picked.

“Every morning, men flock here in large numbers for a glass or two of my juice. Sometimes the numbers are overwhelming,” he says.

A large glass of the juice goes for Sh100, while a small glass costs Sh70.

 “In a good day, I take home between Sh3,000  and 3,5000  and on a bad day, I fetch around Sh2,500. It is good money and I can’t complain. It is enough to cater for my family needs and it’s much better than what I used to earn as a truck driver,” he says.

Mondays s particularly busy days for Kangau, as  customers troop to his joint in bid to cleanse their systems, following a weekend of serious partying.

“I am happy that  even as I make  money, I am helping my people become productive and healthy. Since my clients discovered that I add pumpkin seeds into the mixture, the turn up has tripled as the seeds contain good amount of zinc.  Zinc helps improve sex drive in general and is also important for the production of healthy, abundant, and potent sperm. And with greater levels of testosterone comes increased sperm production”, he added.

Kangau, who plans to expand his business, says that he is happy competition is not fierce.

“ I have mastered this art. If you search for sugarcane juice benefits, you’ll find that it has been attributed as a natural remedy to a score of problems. It’s rich in antioxidants so it helps in fighting infections and boosting immunity. It’s rich in iron, magnesium, calcium and other electrolytes so it’s great for hydration. It helps cure the common cold and other infections and also fights fever, as it boosts the body’s protein levels,” he added.

Some of his clients are people suffering from diabetes.

“Another group of people that flock my place are people suffering from diabetes since the juice is very good with that condition,” he adds. 

One of Kangau’s customer, John Kagwi, says that he stopped taking painkillers to treat hangovers after discovering the juice.

“Alcohol kills your appetite, the green juice is magical in restoring  appetite and that’s why I am here,” Kagwi said.

 Asked if the juice indeed boosts libido, he chuckled and responded in the affirmative.