Nelson Chege, a former jet fighter in the military, escaped the perils of the battlefield to pursue a new path as an entrepreneur.
After recognizing the need for accessible posho mills in his village, he embarked on a challenging yet rewarding journey to establish his own milling business.
As of 2018, Chege’s Hekima Posho mill in Kiambu County had become a thriving venture, providing affordable and nutritious maize meal to the local community.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
From Battlefield to Milling Busines
After narrowly escaping death in the battlefield and realizing that military life was not for him, Chege decided to leave the armed forces after 15 years of service.
“After escaping death by a whisker in the battlefield, I didn’t think twice about quitting,” he said. “The scar on my face is a sign that anything can happen in a war zone. I was always on the look out because the enemy could strike any moment.” Chege who served in the military from 1993 to 2003 said in a past interview.
Returning to his village, he noticed a gap in the market for posho mills, despite the prevalence of maize farming in the area.
“Whenever I went back to the village, I realised that most farmers produced maize and fancy posho maize meal, but the nearest posho mill from our village was about seven kilometers away,” he said.
With the support of a friend, he embarked on the milling business, investing his savings in purchasing a milling machine.
“I started in the village with part of my savings worth Sh700,000 which I used to purchase the milling machine,” Chege said.
Starting out, Chege faced numerous challenges and incurred losses.
However, through trial and error, he learned that an open-air market was the ideal location for his posho mill.
At first the business was not doing well and I had to transfer my machine to various places in Nairobi. I made countless losses before realizing that a posho mill can do well in an open air market,” Chege recalled.
He also observed the pattern of maize prices rising just before the next harvest and identified the market days when villagers were most likely to visit.
Capitalizing on these opportunities, he adjusted his strategy, leading to increased profitability.
Providing Affordable and Nutritious Maize Meal
Chege’s posho mill offered milling services to local farmers and households, providing affordable and nutritious posho maize meal.
By sourcing maize from his own farm and purchasing additional bags from local farmers, he ensured a steady supply.
Clients paid a reasonable fee per kilogram of maize milled, making it an accessible option for those who cannot afford costlier packed maize meal.
The popularity of his business has grew, with some customers even placing orders from outside his hometown market.
“This business helps people who cannot afford the costly packed maize meal; besides, most households prefer the posho maize meal because it’s more affordable and nutritious,” said the father-of-two.
Challenges
Running a posho mill business is not without its challenges.
Chege faces issues such as pests damaging stored maize, which necessitates preventive measures.
“sometimes rats, weevils and moths attack the maize in the store and I’m forced to do airing. Power outages has also been a hindrance because sometimes they have power black outs even for two days.”
