Success Story: How Lillian Akinyi Okwiri Quit Her Accounting Job to Build a Thriving Poultry Business

When Lillian Akinyi Okwiri walked away from her accounting job after just six months, her friends thought she was making a mistake. But today, she’s living proof that courage, persistence, and vision can turn a dream into a sustainable business.

Mrs. Okwiri on her farm

At 50, Mrs. Okwiri runs one of Kisumu’s most successful poultry farms, earning over Sh100,000 every five weeks from broiler sales and collecting around 10 crates of eggs daily from her layers.

💡 The Leap of Faith

“I always dreamt of being my own boss,” says Mrs. Okwiri. “What worried me most was whether I’d still earn as much money as I did when I was employed.”

After just half a year in formal employment, she decided to follow her passion for entrepreneurship. But starting wasn’t easy. She quickly realized that poultry rearing—her chosen venture—required capital she didn’t yet have.

🛍️ From Second-Hand Clothes to Chickens

Determined not to give up, Lillian started small. She began selling second-hand clothes (mitumba) to raise money for her poultry business. On the side, she also made and sold ice cream to schoolchildren, slowly building her savings.

Within a few months, she had raised Sh30,000—enough to start her dream venture.

“I had no formal training in poultry keeping,” she recalls. “But I had the urge to make money and was ready to learn along the way.”

🐥 The Birth of a Poultry Empire

Armed with determination and research, Lillian discovered that many traders in Kenya imported poultry products like eggs from neighboring counties. Seeing a gap in the local market, she started small—buying 150 day-old chicks at Sh100 each.

She converted one of her bedrooms into a makeshift poultry house. Five weeks later, her first batch of broilers was ready for the market, while her layers began producing eggs after about five months.

With profits rolling in, she reinvested her earnings and built a larger structure using local materials, wire mesh, and iron sheets, which now accommodates over 1,000 birds—700 broilers and 300 layers.

💰 A Booming Business

Today, Mrs. Okwiri’s farm in Nyamasaria, Kisumu, is thriving. Every five weeks, she earns about Sh100,000 from broiler sales alone, each bird going for around Sh400.

She also collects approximately 10 crates of eggs daily, selling each crate at Sh330.

Her business has become the envy of many—and a source of inspiration for women who visit her to learn about poultry farming.

🌱 Lessons in Courage and Resilience

“I have no regrets,” she says proudly. “Had I clung to my job, I wouldn’t have made such impressive strides.”

Mrs. Okwiri’s journey is more than a success story—it’s a testament to what happens when you combine vision with hard work. From a small bedroom setup to a thriving poultry business, she has shown that with determination, you can create opportunities from the simplest beginnings.

💬 Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own business, Mrs. Okwiri’s story is proof that it’s possible. Start small, learn continuously, and never let fear stop you from taking the first step.

As she says, “The best decision I ever made was to believe in myself.”