He invented a machine that prepares food for cattle

With only basic education and a certificate in Grade 3 sheet metal welding from Bondeni polytechnic in Nakuru, Peter Ndung’u Mbugua from Nyandarua County has utilised his course and come up with an agricultural machine which he has patented, earning him good money from its sales.

The Posh Mixer, a combination of a posho mill, stock crusher, chuff cutter and mixer was born out of the experience when Ndung’u was engaging in zero-grazing farming and feeding animals proved a tedious task. “It started as a drive to want to solve the problem of time and space taken to prepare food for my zero-grazing unit,” says Ndung’u.

He discovered that to have the right food for the cows, one needed multiple machines to save time on food preparation. The machines would occupy a large area and the work would often be messy. He started on a prototype that would eventually become the mother of the now East African recognised Posh Mixer. “It was in 2008 when I started on it. It took me three years to perfect the machine which now fetches up to Sh100,000 per unit.” 

Incubation programme

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In 2012, he patented the invention and attended a business clinic in Kisumu where he was awarded a trophy for Vision 2030 Energy saver and Space saver. This opened doors for Ndung’u who has since travelled across East Africa with the support of the Micro Small Enterprises (MSEs) Authority. In 2015, he was one of the exhibitors in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit attended by former US President Barrack Obama.

In his business in Ol’Kalou town, Ndung’u runs an incubation programme for young people looking to join the field of engineering and other technical courses. “I teach them the basics like warehouse safety rules and how to make simple joints and small home appliances like jikos,” Ndung’u says.

He adds that the young people who join the incubation programme which he offers for free are better placed since they can easily secure employment out of their handy skills learnt in the programme.

These young people also help him meet order deadlines given by clients who order machines like potato peelers, cabbage choppers, culvert builders and other machines which he makes.

The programme which started in 2015, has trained more than 30 young people most of whom have joined tertiary institutions while the rest are well equipped for the juakali industry.

Ndung’u is grateful for the opportunities he has had especially after he patented his invention which was quickly accepted as an industrial tool ready for the market.   

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