Youth-led agribusiness venture rewrites Kenya's farming narrative

Members of the Navakholo ASP CBO Hub in Kakamega County at the launch of the Model County Youth in Agribusiness Engagement Strategy Programme in Nairobi. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

There is a popular belief that young people are turning their backs on agriculture, viewing it as a less rewarding livelihood.

Yet, beyond the perception, agriculture presents young people with significant opportunities to earn a living, create jobs, and build scalable businesses across the agri-food sector.

Sarah Walekhwa, a member of the 30-youth Navakholo ASP Hub in Kakamega County, says while this may be true, the problem is that many young people are not aware of the opportunities the sector offers.

She appreciates that many young people are already actively involved in Kenya’s agri-food enterprises, despite facing challenges such as limited access to finance, markets, skills and technology, as well as inadequate infrastructure, information and supportive policies.

She said they formed Navakholo ASP CBO Hub in August 2024, with a focus on venturing into the poultry value chain. Poultry was easy to start, with ready markets within the community.

At the start, the group lacked capital. However, the members pooled their resources and raised Sh80,000, which they invested in the business. Today, the group continues to thrive.

“Our main enterprise is poultry production, focusing on broilers, layers and egg production. We also buy day-old chicks, rear them for up to three months before selling them to farmers,” she said.

Today, Sarah and her fellow youth not only generate income but also create employment opportunities within their community.

Sarah was speaking during the recent launch of the Model County Youth in Agribusiness Engagement Strategy Programme, organised by the Council of Governors and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), in Nairobi.

At the exhibition, they showcased organically grown vegetables, value-added products and their biofertiliser.

Later in 2024, the group received a Sh2 million grant from the European Union, implemented through a partnership involving the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Kakamega County.

Kakamega County also supported the group through capacity-building initiatives.

Sarah explained that they used the grant to diversify into organic vegetable production, value addition and biofertiliser production.

Biofertiliser is currently undergoing certification, mainly manufactured from poultry manure, supplemented with biochar, vermicast and vermi-juice, to enhance soil fertility.

It targets small-scale farmers since biofertiliser is relatively affordable compared with other organic fertilisers. It is also environmentally friendly.

She explained: “Our soils are highly degraded, so while we are producing poultry and vegetables, we also want to ensure that farmers have healthy and productive soils. The bio-fertiliser can potentially be used beyond Kakamega County, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas because of the inclusion of biochar.”

The youths have also ventured into chicken roasting to ensure that poultry products are utilised and little goes to waste.

Sarah said the group sells its poultry to schools, hotels and hospitals, while its target market for vegetables includes small-scale farmers, supermarkets, schools, and hospitals. 

She attributed the group’s success to discipline, hard work and teamwork, praising every member for giving their best.

The business is doing well and currently generates about Sh3.2 million annually from its various activities.

Despite its achievements, Sarah said the group continues to face several challenges. She cites high production costs that leave little money for reinvestment and expansion.

“Feed is our biggest challenge because production costs are very high. Poultry feed accounts for a significant share of our production expenses,” she said.

Another concern is an unstructured value chain, which makes it difficult for farmers to benefit from every stage of production and marketing.

“We want farmers to benefit from every stage of the process, from production to marketing, without gaps in the value chain,” she said.

The group also faces limited market access and weak bargaining power. Middlemen often play a major role in the market, and the group wants to reduce this dependence by taking control of more stages of the value chain.

At the event, Sarah presented a pitch on behalf of the youth group to various stakeholders, seeking financing to further expand the business.

She appreciates the opportunity to attend the event and join other young people for the launch of the Youth in Agribusiness Model.

“We are young people running this project, and we are happy to be here, engage with other partners and network with them. We also hope to explore opportunities for financing and scaling up the project,” she said.

She explained that the youth group is seeking Sh5 million to expand production, acquire key equipment and create more employment opportunities for young people.

Sarah said part of the funding will be used to purchase a feed formulation machine, brooder and hatchery, which she believes will help reduce production costs and improve efficiency.

The group also plans to use part of the funding as working capital to support production, while investing in capacity building for its existing 30 members and expanding training to about 200 young people.

“The training will equip young people with skills in poultry production and veterinary services, enabling them to provide services to farmers and fellow youth participating in the value chain,” she explained.

The group’s dream is to build a sustainable youth-led agribusiness model that improves soil health, strengthens the poultry value chain and eventually explores export opportunities for its products.