In 2011, Mutheu Kithuma’s life took a dramatic turn for the worse as she was forced to shut down her tour firm due to a significant decline in foreign visitors.
The cause? Insecurity threats posed by the terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, had led to a surge in terror attacks in Kenya between 2011 and 2014, prompting Western countries to issue travel advisories.
This adversity pushed many businesses in the hospitality industry onto a rocky road.
However, for Ms. Kithuma, the closure of her business opened a door to a new and successful venture.
“When the terrorist attacks increased in the country, the tourism sector was hard-hit, and this saw the number of visitors coming to the country significantly reduce. I did not have an alternative but to close my tour firm,” recalls Ms. Kithuma.
But Kithuma’s resilience and adaptability would pave the way for her remarkable journey into agriculture.
In 2013, she embarked on a journey into farming, even though she faced initial setbacks. Her key motivation was twofold.
First, her tour venture had involved organizing benchmarking trips to different countries, which exposed her to farming practices and the agricultural sector.
Secondly, she recognized that farming was a profitable business.
Kithuma decided to explore this new path, co-founding Kibwezi Agro Limited.
Her focus? Mango farming.
She started small, grappling with challenges and uncertainties, but her tenacity was unwavering. Today, she is one of the largest mango exporters in Kenya.
Ms. Kithuma planted an impressive 10,000 mango trees on her 180-acre farm, making her orchard one of the largest in the country.
Employing 46 permanent workers, she has ambitious plans to expand her orchard to more than 20,000 trees in the near future.
While Kithuma’s success is inspiring, it did not come without hurdles.
In 2012, she initially tried her hand at growing watermelons on five acres of land, and her efforts seemed promising.
She even decided to double the size to 10 acres in the following season. However, things did not go as expected; the watermelon crop failed after expansion.
“They did not flower, and this meant they couldn’t produce. But I never gave up on farming,” says Kithuma. The initial teething challenges, including the watermelon setback, are now behind her. Her venture has grown tremendously, and she’s making a name for herself in the exports business.
Currently, Ms. Kithuma has her sights set on the lucrative European market, where Kenya is scheduled to resume mango exports starting in September.
She believes that this move will provide a significant boost for her and other farmers.
Earnings from Europe are projected to be 20% higher than what they are currently earning from the Middle East markets, including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Kenya’s mango exports to the Middle East had increased due to a self-imposed ban, which aimed to avoid interceptions from European countries. However, this came with lower returns compared to the potential of the EU market.
Ms. Kithuma highlights the uniqueness of the Kibwezi region, which is not highly infested by fruit flies due to its varied mango season starting in September.
This different timing helps reduce the prevalence of fruit flies, making it an ideal location for mango farming.
Kibwezi Agro Limited also has ambitious plans for value addition to its mangoes, catering to both local and international markets.
