Toilet paper was rare in many Kenyan homes before the 70s. It was a preserve of wealthy individuals and 5-star hotels who could bear the costs of importing it.
However, things changed when S. K. Macharia visited Italy in 1976. At the time, he was working as a financial controller at Agriculture Development Corporation (ADC).
Macharia was in Italy to learn about how to improve beef through crossbreeding cows and buffaloes.
During his tour, he came across a farming family that manufactured toilet paper from waste paper using a hand-made machine.
It then struck him that toilet paper was a preserve of the rich and 5-star hotels in Kenya.
Upon his return, Macharia went to Hilton Hotel in Nairobi and borrowed a tissue roll which he took to the Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) for a study whether it would be a profitable venture.
Although KIE confirmed that it was a profitable idea, they could not fund it since it was above Ksh3 million.
He then applied for a loan at the National Bank of Kenya but the General Manager R. S. Atwood took too long give a go ahead.
Luckily, Atwood was replaced with Stanley Githunguri who was so excited with the idea that he gave Macharia a KSh7 million loan without collateral.
This led to the birth of Madhupaper in 1977 who produced Rosy – the first indigenous toilet paper.
Soon enough, the commodity was available in most Kenyan homes.
