In Kenya, not many professionals make over 100,000, and even fewer C-suite executives earn a monthly salary of Sh 400,000. For retirees, this figure exceeds the wildest imaginations of most.
However, this figure represents the average monthly income of a Machakos-based retiree couple, the Mbichas.
Nearly 50 years ago, Nemuel (now 75) and his wife Nyaboke Mbicha (71) decided to venture into farming as their retirement plan. At the time, Nemuel, who was aged 24, had just secured a job as a children’s officer at the office of the then vice president George Saitoti. His newly wedded wife, Nyaboke, worked as a secretary for various government agencies.
In 2000, the couple invested their savings in purchasing 5 acres of land in Joska, with an acre going for sh 80,000. The area was practically a wasteland, plagued by water scarcity and classified as arid/semi-arid. “It was bare, bushy, and full of snakes, hyenas, and even zebras,” recalled Mr. Mbicha.
In 2006, the couple decided to relocate to the property to build their retirement dream and turn the wasteland into a productive farm. A year later, they took a loan of sh 490,000 and bought six Friesian calves, investing the surplus on building cowsheds.
However, in a cruel twist of fortune, all six calves died of East Coast fever. This was a major blow, but the couple did not give up.
Instead, they invested in more livestock, doubled their efforts, and the farm soon became so productive that Mrs. Mbicha began supplying milk from the farm to her colleagues and government offices.
Encouraged by these returns, she retired at the early age of 46 to concentrate fully on agribusiness.
Today, the farm is a far cry from the barren wasteland the couple bought in 2000. It is now home to 40 cows, countless goats, chickens, ducks, and turkeys. “The cows are like doctors to me,” said Mrs. Mbicha in an interview with Business Daily. “I’m happy when I walk around and see them.”
The farm has 20 productive dairy cows, which produce 250-300 liters of milk daily. The milk is sold to New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (New KCC) at Sh50 per liter. Even during the dry season, the couple’s income averages between sh 375,000 – 450,000 per month, with a milk output of at least 200 liters.
Their operations are modern and efficient. Cows are housed in clean, concrete-and-wood sheds with proper ventilation and separate sections for calves and mature cows. There’s even a radio to keep the animals calm during feeding and milking.
The cows are milked using machines, after which the milk is stored in a cooler awaiting collection by New KCC at 2 pm.
To cut on feeding costs, the couple grows their fodder on an additional four-acre plot near Athi River. They harvest, chop, and store the feed as hay and silage. The Joska farm is also equipped with modern irrigation systems, which supply solar-pumped borehole water. This way, they have a constant supply of water even in dry seasons.
Aside from the cowsheds, the farm features an orchard full of indigenous fruit trees. To save costs and ensure sustainability, their kitchen runs on biogas generated from cow dung.
The farm employs several workers and their operations begin at 4 am, entailing feeding, cleaning, and milking. With 5 grown-up children, the farm has evolved from a retirement dream to a legacy.
Asked about his advice to young people, Mr. Mbicha said, “My call to young people is that they should begin preparing for retirement during their youth. Reinvesting profits into a venture is key to growth and success.”