Forget imports, I make my own farm machines

Charles Kipleting Chelulei 40 (in Tshirt), with his trainee, work on coffee pulping machine. He modifies different farming machines to help coffee farmers in the region. 14.01.2018. (Photo: Peter Ochieng/Standard)

In the remote Kabunyeria village in Tinderet Nandi County, is one agriprenuer — Charles Chelulei — a man with unique prowess in inventing farm machines.

The 40-year-old Chelulei is the proud inventor of several farm machines including a coffee pulping machine and a livestock feeds miller which, Smart Harvest confirmed, are quite popular in Nandi, Bomet and Kericho counties.

Fondly nicknamed ‘Engineer Rasta’ in the village, Chelulei runs a humble workshop in Kabunyeria Shopping Centre where he creates efficient, reliable and affordable farm machines for sale.

So what pushed him into the world of invention?

“I have always been fascinated by machines and how they work but have been deeply disappointed by how quickly imported machines break down and malfunction. This is what inspired me to start creating my own machines that can work in Kenyan environments,” he tells Smart Harvest at his workshop.

Natural born-talent

When he was 10, the young Chelulei had a near-death experience from a fall after ‘an aircraft’ he created after it crushed with him on board. He was trying to fly it a top a hill.

Surprisingly, the village engineer did not learn his unique skills in a classroom or by working under a trained engineer. On the contrary, Chelulei, who only has a KCSE certificate, is a self-made inventor. Chelulei could not further his secondary education despite scoring a B in 1997 for lack of school fees. Instead of idling like other youth, he dived into the world of farming and machine repairs.

“I started doing farming on my parent’s farm but mainly concentrated on repair of machines. I started with farm machines in our farm and slowy started reparing neigbours’ machines. Within no time, I was the village Mr-Fix-It repairing all farm machines and motor vehicles,” he says.

He has capitalised on his natural born talent, high observation and curiosity skills, fascination with machines, to come up with practical farm toys that serve farm needs of locals.

“I am yet to zero in on a family member in my lineage who may have given me these genes of inventing machines; no one taught me my skills,” the ever -curious Chelulei says.

Chelulei adds: “I learnt the basic knowledge and principles of how machines operate during my secondary school years.”

Singlehandedly, Chelulei designed an efficient coffee pulping machine targeting coffee farmers in Tinderet who always sought his help to ‘fix’ their expensive imported machines.

The pulping machine separates freshly harvested coffee beans from the husks where farmers thereafter dry them before they are transported to factories.

The improved coffee pulping machine is made up of a roller, crusher, cherry hopper and a power generator and works on simple mechanics and engineering principles.

“My coffee pulping machine can pulp 100 kilos of harvested beans within five minutes. It is very easy to maintain and anybody with basic knowledge can operate it,” he says.

The efficiency and affordability of the machine has made it popular among coffee farmers who have streamed in to buy it to pulp their beans.

“I sell a standard coffee pulping machine at Sh40,000 to Sh50,000 depending on the variations I will make for each order,” he says.

Since he started production of the machine four months ago, Chelulei has sold 35 coffee machines to different farmers in Nandi, Bomet and Kericho. Smart Harvest saw the receipt for purchases.

“They are not just efficient, I also endeavour to give my machines a great finish for the aesthetic value. My machines are liked by farmers because of their efficiency, low maintenance and low energy consumption,” he says.

The Kabunyeria ‘engineer’ has also sold 45 livestock feeds miller to different livestock farmers in Nandi and Kericho where the machine mills are used to dry fresh cattle feeds. The cattle feeds miller retails at Sh30,000 to Sh35,000 depending on size and specifications.

It works on a simple engineering principle based on a grinding and chopping machine and a power source and requires very simple maintenance where the cutting tools are periodically sharpened.

Looking for investors

The talented man has many other machines to his name including a tractor trailer that he designed for carrying harvested tea that have been stored in bags, to the factory.

“The trailer costs an average Sh1 million in motor vehicles outlets but in Kabunyeria, I sell it at an average Sh850,000,” he says.

The trailer which already has three buyers is creatively designed to include seats for two turn boys and well placed hooks to hold the bags that are carrying the tea.

“It is light and well-balanced and has been a good replacement for the trailer I bought with the tractor which was not very efficient,” says proud owner of the ‘Made in Kabunyeria’ trailer farmer Raymond Chelulei.

His biggest challenge has been to access capital to buy all the parts required for machines. Other challenges include lack of a well equipped workshop.

“‘I face difficulties in translating the invention designs from paper to the actual machine because I operate a ‘jua kali’ workshop. I am forced to depend on other people for complicated services. Sometimes the machine does not work as I intended and I am forced to spend more money to redesign and overhaul it. But I do not mind this because my joy is to see a satisfied client,” he says.

His marketing style has been purely on referrals — from one satisfied farmer to another.

“The fact that I hardly get complains from my clients is my biggest motivation,” he says.

The Kabunyeria farm machines inventor is father to three children who have all inherited his talent and love for machines.

“I let my children explore all machines; a radio in my home does not last a month because my children dismantle it and create new things,” he says.

No patent yet

Former Women Rep Zipporah Kerring, former MP Stephen Tarus, 2017 Tinderet MCA hopeful Cornelius Kipkoech and serving Ollessos Ward MCA Emmanuel Mengeech are among dignitaries who enjoy his services and inventions. He is a role model for youth in the impoverished Kabunyeria village, who throng to his workshop for lessons. Chelulei who is yet to patent his inventions, is in the process of getting expert guidance on the same.

Meanwhile, he hopes to get funding to set up a modern workshop to take his inventions to the next level and take in interns.