The spice sisters of Kisaju: How solar tech-savvy women are securing the global herb market

Citadel Agri Merchants Managing Director Yvonne Anyonyi Mumiah in Kisaju, Kajiado County. [Maryann Muganda, Standard]

The road to Kisaju in Kajiado County is dusty. The morning air is crisp, and the landscape looks dry for miles. It is not the kind of place one would expect to find lush greenery. Yet beyond the brown plains stand rows of greenhouses where herbs and spices destined for international markets flourish.

 It is here, at Citadel Farm, that Kenyan women farmers are transforming acres of arid land into thriving export enterprises. Backed by modern cold-storage facilities that preserve quality from harvest to shipping, they grow basil, rosemary, thyme, and other high-value herbs bound for supermarket shelves and restaurant kitchens across Europe and the Middle East.