With the East African region battling with drought and lack of food, a Kenyan farmer in Rwanda is making progress with his agribusiness venture.
William Macharia who started by hawking shoes in Rwanda is now a supplier of agricultural produce in the East African region through his agricultural company.
Macharia moved to Rwanda from Kenya during the 2007/08 post elections skirmishes after failing to make headway due to the prevailing circumstances then.
“Opportunities dried up at home after 2007/2008 election so I moved here to try my luck. I began by hawking shoes that I had brought from Kariokor to earn a living,” he disclosed.
According to Macharia, he got the idea of farming after reading an advert for a job at an agribusiness company.
“I learnt about the venture on agribusiness after reading a magazine advert at a boutique owned by a Kenyan here in Kigali. I then decided to apply for it,” he added.
Macharia would catch the eye of an investor during his training who later bought into his idea that gave life to his company.
“A foreign investor liked what I was training about and decided to partner with me to open up a company in Rwanda,” he recalled.
On his 8-acre farm, Macharia grows habanero chillies, sweet peppers, English cucumbers, sweet melons and cherry tomatoes.
His exploits in business have seen his company rated by the National Agricultural Export Development Board of Rwanda to generate at least (USD100,000) or Ksh13 million every year from vegetable production.
Macharia set up his farm in Bugesera district, Eastern Rwanda where he grows and exports vegetables.
His thriving venture led to the formation of a farming company which supplies farming input to farmers across the East Africa region.
Interestingly, more than fifty per cent of his produce is exported to Europe while the remaining is sold to high-end hotels and supermarkets in Bugesera and Kigali City.
“We export 500 kgs of sweet pepper, 800 kgs of tomatoes, 500 kgs of Habanero chillies and 2 tonnes of french beans for export per week,” he opined.
Macharia alluded his successful horticultural farming to the ideal climate, fertile soil and an abundant, hardworking labour force in Rwanda.
Additionally, he commended the Rwandese government for its friendly policies in the agricultural sector and ease in supporting new business ventures.
Macharia studied at Nyeri High School and pursued a degree in Business Management and Marketing at the University of Nairobi.
