In the heart of Kenya’s coffee country, a serial entrepreneur named David Muge has embarked on an extraordinary journey over the last decade.
Returning from the United Kingdom, he set his sights on the lucrative coffee industry, eventually becoming the owner of The Great Rift Coffee, the largest factory in Nandi.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
David Muge’s entrepreneurial journey in Kenya began with a significant advantage – a vast piece of land, initially spanning 100 acres, which has now grown to an impressive 800 acres.
Half of this land is dedicated to coffee cultivation, and the other half is reserved for macadamia trees.
Muge utilized funds from his time in the UK to jumpstart his coffee venture, even establishing a state-of-the-art milling factory.
“The reason why I chose the coffee industry is because it’s lucrative. It brings money to the country and also to me as a person,” Muge explains.
“I already had a head start because I had land, which was substantially big by all standards.”
However, Muge initially intended to focus on milling locally grown coffee.
Unfortunately, this plan encountered numerous challenges.
Cooperative societies and small-scale farmers often failed to deliver coffee as promised, causing Muge to rethink his strategy.
Muge’s initial foray into milling local coffee proved to be a challenging endeavor.
Cooperative societies from regions like Bungoma promised to supply their coffee for milling, even entering into contracts with Muge’s company.
However, when the time came, these cooperatives sold their coffee to other mills, citing various excuses, including existing debts.
This experience served as a rude awakening for Muge, who had assumed that honesty and integrity would prevail in business dealings.
Frustrated by these setbacks, Muge decided to change his approach.
He concluded that relying on cooperatives and small-scale farmers was unreliable.
Instead, he decided to invest in creating his own large-scale coffee estate, with the goal of achieving up to 400 acres of coffee cultivation by the following year.
Muge’s shift in strategy was driven by a realization – the key to success in the coffee industry lay in quality and consistency.
With his vision of a 400-acre coffee estate, he would have the ability to sign long-term contracts with international buyers, guaranteeing a steady supply of high-quality coffee.
This shift reflected his commitment to delivering on promises made to his customers.
Muge believes that Kenya possesses unique advantages in coffee production, including volcanic soil that imparts a distinct, acidic, and floral flavor to Kenyan coffee.
Yet, he acknowledges that Kenya has not fully capitalized on these strengths.
While Kenyan coffee has the potential to be a premium product, Muge argues that it needs to be marketed more effectively on the global stage.
He suggests that the government should play a role in promoting Kenyan coffee as a unique and prestigious brand, much like the wine industries in regions like Bordeaux, France.
David Muge is not content with limiting his entrepreneurial endeavors to coffee alone. He envisions a broader impact on Kenya’s economic landscape.
In the coming months, Muge plans to invest in information and communication technology (ICT), including data centers.
He believes that ICT can play a pivotal role in Kenya’s development, particularly in rural areas where internet connectivity remains a challenge due to the high cost of fiber deployment.
One of his anticipated investments is in Starlink, recognizing the transformative potential it holds for Kenya.
Muge points out that while the government is rolling out an extensive fiber network, there are still remote regions in Kenya that struggle with connectivity.
Investing in technologies like Starlink could bridge this digital divide and open new opportunities for businesses and individuals across the country.
Muge’s entrepreneurial journey embodies a broader trend in Kenya – a resurgence of national pride and the “Kenyanisation” of industries.
He believes that the time has come for Kenyan professionals and entrepreneurs, who have gained knowledge and experience abroad, to return to their homeland and invest in its growth.
Kenya’s investment in education and training has yielded a skilled workforce that can compete on a global scale.
The challenge now lies in harnessing this talent to drive the nation’s progress. David Muge emphasizes the importance of prioritizing Kenya’s interests in all endeavors, from business to technology.
