Kombo Nyaga is an Embu-based businessman who is the founder of Cleo Nature, a company that manufactures skin care products and soap from goat milk.
Nyaga established the company in 2015 after research on persistent skin problems.
His partner’s child was suffering from a skin condition called eczema and they went deep into research. That is when they discovered that goat milk can be used to make a skin friendly soap.
“Dermatologists and other researchers have proven that goat milk is very good for the skin. It is able to wash away dead skin, and encourage the growth of new cells.
“This soap is able to clean the skin without irritating it and keep it moisturised,” Kombo told Citizen TV during an interview in May 2022.
The businessman gets the goat milk from local goat farmers in Embu. He also adds other locally available ingredients like castor oil and tumeric. All mixing is done by hand.
“Most of the raw materials that we use are locally available. We buy a litre at Ksh100, and we take like 120 litres every week,” Kombo revealed.
They mix the milk with caustic soda to make lye, which converts all the fats in the milk into soap. They put the soap into moulds to give them shape and start the curing process.
Kombo and his company came as a relief to local goat farmers since he offers an available and ready market.
His products have earned national recognition and are now on the shelves of various retailers, beauty stalls, and supermarkets across the country.
The businessman revealed that by May 2022, they had the capacity to produce 2000 soaps per day. The soaps can be used to treat skin by both men and women.
“The reception has been good. Kenyans have really supported us. We have a very active online shop called MyDawa,” Kombo stated.
The pure goat milk soap and the Tumeric soap at the time both went for Ksh240. At the time, it cost Ksh150 to produce one bar, but the cost went up during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kombo noted that they made a lot of sales during the Covid-19 pandemic due to their online presence.
He has 20 employees and is trying to get a bigger space. Kombo is also looking to increase the company’s production capacity.