Sukuma wiki (Kales) is a common vegetable
that many Kenyans eat in their homes. It has been
here for a long time and many people are earning
a lively hood from this tasty vegetable.
that many Kenyans eat in their homes. It has been
here for a long time and many people are earning
a lively hood from this tasty vegetable.
Below is todays success story features a city farmer
growing sukuma wiki on an acre plot.
growing sukuma wiki on an acre plot.
Mawe Mbili off Kangundo Road in Nairobi’s Ruai
area suggests two stones— or rocks —in Kiswahili.
While the actual rocks that gave this eastern suburb
of Kenya’s capital its name may not be obvious to a
visitor, the neighbourhood’s rocky terrain belies
presence of a phenomenal agricultural enterprise,
whose replication could transform Nairobi County
into a net food exporter.
of Kenya’s capital its name may not be obvious to a
visitor, the neighbourhood’s rocky terrain belies
presence of a phenomenal agricultural enterprise,
whose replication could transform Nairobi County
into a net food exporter.
The Saturday Nation team had been waiting at the
Ruai Bridge rendezvous for one-and-a-half
hours when finally, at noon and amid a
threatening downpour, a van with visitors on a mission
to see what a small urban plot could produce, arrived.
Ruai Bridge rendezvous for one-and-a-half
hours when finally, at noon and amid a
threatening downpour, a van with visitors on a mission
to see what a small urban plot could produce, arrived.
University of Nairobi soil scientist Nancy Karanja,
who had tipped us off on the visitors from Kajiado,
led the convoy to her namesake’s farm.
who had tipped us off on the visitors from Kajiado,
led the convoy to her namesake’s farm.
With the gait of one used to receiving similar visitors,
Mrs Karanja takes us on a tour of her one-acre plot,
the size of your average up-market city estate—
Lavington, Loresho or Kitisuru. A plot in up-market
Karen measures half to two-and-a-half acres, the
latter being the minimum acreage previously allowed.
Mrs Karanja takes us on a tour of her one-acre plot,
the size of your average up-market city estate—
Lavington, Loresho or Kitisuru. A plot in up-market
Karen measures half to two-and-a-half acres, the
latter being the minimum acreage previously allowed.
It is evident that Mrs Karanja wants to finish
with us soonest possible to be able to dedicate
herself to the visitors, who have come from
distant Kajiado to learnfrom her initiative, hence
there are no ceremonies as we move from one
production unit to another.
with us soonest possible to be able to dedicate
herself to the visitors, who have come from
distant Kajiado to learnfrom her initiative, hence
there are no ceremonies as we move from one
production unit to another.
There are 17 Friesian heifers in the zero-grazing
unit,10of them in milk. They produce 300litres a
day, on average. “I onlydeal withFriesian because
theyhave a lotof milk,” Mrs Karanja says, adding, “I
sell it at Supaloaf”— one ofNairobi’s major bakeries.
Feeding 17 heifers ona small plot must be a
challenge, and the question of where she gets
their feeds follows. The cows thriveon horticultural
waste, which the farmer gets from Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport.
challenge, and the question of where she gets
their feeds follows. The cows thriveon horticultural
waste, which the farmer gets from Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport.
ADDING VALUE TO WASTE
A pick-up load at Sh1,000 lasts two days after
mixing itwith the hay she gets from Narok.
A pick-up load at Sh1,000 lasts two days after
mixing itwith the hay she gets from Narok.
ProfKaranja, whom I had engaged earlier onthe
waste disposal-food security link, explains that
Naivasha and Naro Moru are major
horticultural producers.
Technically, therefore,the feed
comes from far, far away.
comes from far, far away.
“What does not go out, she gets back. That is
adding value to waste,” says Prof Karanja, who is
the director of Micren—the Microbial Resources
Centre and Larmat—Land Resource Management
and Agricultural Technology—at the UoN’s Faculty
of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. The waste
“is very high quality; very high in proteins because
thereis a lot of legume,” the don explains.
adding value to waste,” says Prof Karanja, who is
the director of Micren—the Microbial Resources
Centre and Larmat—Land Resource Management
and Agricultural Technology—at the UoN’s Faculty
of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. The waste
“is very high quality; very high in proteins because
thereis a lot of legume,” the don explains.
Proximity to the airport makes iteasy for Mrs
Karanja toget the feed thatalso nourishesthe two
dairy goats she started raising recently. “I’ve
noticed that goat milk is very nutritious and I
want it for my family,” says the mother ofthree, who
ditched heraccountancy career in2008 for farming,
which she started with three Friesians.
At Sh38 per litre of milk, the farmer makes
Sh11,400 per day from hercows. Put anotherway,
she earns Sh342,000per monthfrom milk sales.
From three to 17 cattle in a short four years is
astounding…but it becomes mind-boggling to a
scribe when she says they would be 36—more
than twice the number at the time of the interview,
if she had not sold others.
astounding…but it becomes mind-boggling to a
scribe when she says they would be 36—more
than twice the number at the time of the interview,
if she had not sold others.
“I do Kilimo biashara (agribusiness),” she says.
People think urbanfarming is just a hobby; itis
nolonger ahobby but a business.”
Givenitwas Prof Karanja who linked me up withMrs
Karanja, I’m curious about where the don fits in the
whole venture.
Karanja, I’m curious about where the don fits in the
whole venture.
Although Mrs Karanja interacts more closely withthe
Ministry of Agriculture,the don says, her interest as a
soil scientistis more on nutrients…“harvesting
nutrients from waste and returningthem tothe soil
so thatwe can have sustainable agriculture,” she
says.
The farm also has kienyeji (indigenous) chicken,
which lay at least 10 eggs every day. “I don’t buy
eggs,” Mrs Karanja says. Some of herchickens are
from Uganda and are serviced by a cockerel from
India.
“We wantto breed them and see how it works,”
she says. Mrs Karanja’s believes the birds coming
from abroad will be more resistant to fowl
diseases.
The Ugandan breed is perceived to have
more meat, and with the hens showing an 80-90 per
cent hatching rate, she is onto something big.
The slurry from cow dung and urine is the mainstay
of seven greenhouses, which have red capsicum
—“it fetches more money that the green variety” —
cucumber and cowpea at the time of the visit.
more meat, and with the hens showing an 80-90 per
cent hatching rate, she is onto something big.
The slurry from cow dung and urine is the mainstay
of seven greenhouses, which have red capsicum
—“it fetches more money that the green variety” —
cucumber and cowpea at the time of the visit.
LOCAL SUPERMARKETS
Cowpea is harvested monthly in rotation with the
main cash crops. She sells her red capsicum at
Sh120 a kilo—a throwaway, Prof Karanja says,
since the same costs Sh250 at the
local supermarkets. But even at that price, the 200kg
she harvests weekly earns herSh24,000 in seven
days.
It takes threemonths beforeharvesting, which
continuesfor another fivemonths before the crop is
replaced, Mrs Karanja says. “You can do the
mathematics,” Prof Karanja quips to underlinethe
hidden wealth inurban farming.
Thanks tothe readily available organic fertiliser,
which lends a lie to the deafening clamour for
genetically modified organisms (GMO) technology
as Kenya’s panacea for perennialfood insecurity,
the crops in the greenhouse are luscious.
“I’ve started building more greenhouses, because
infuture,this willbe my mainstay,” the farmer says.
The vegetables have a ready outletat the City Park
and Village markets, she says, even as she trains
hereyes on bigger things—horticultural exports.
“That is why we are constructingmore
greenhouses.”
Apart from providing manure for the greenhouses,
the slurry produces energy in the form of cooking
gas. “I don’t buy gas,” she says.
the slurry produces energy in the form of cooking
gas. “I don’t buy gas,” she says.
“Some people complain that they don’t have space
to grow (crops) or build greenhouses.” Just one
row of cowpeas, she says, fetches Sh800. “So
anybody who says that she cannot do this is a
liar,” the farmer says, adding, manure is the
secret.
to grow (crops) or build greenhouses.” Just one
row of cowpeas, she says, fetches Sh800. “So
anybody who says that she cannot do this is a
liar,” the farmer says, adding, manure is the
secret.
On a moist bed adjacent tothe greenhouses are
arrowroots (nduma)—and Mrs Karanja asks an
assistant tobring two samples from her latest
harvest.They are huge, and I struggle tohold back
tears, such is my love for nduma.
“They grow very
nicely here, (yet) before, we only knew that
arrowroots grow on a riverbed with a lot of
nicely here, (yet) before, we only knew that
arrowroots grow on a riverbed with a lot of
water. It’s a lie; if you justmake a moist bed like this
one,then you just water it. The moisture remains
even for a week.”
one,then you just water it. The moisture remains
even for a week.”
He verdict: farming is a very easy way to survive
in the city. “Most people say, ‘I don’t have space’;
‘Our area is very rocky’; ‘We can’t grow anything’;
‘What do you withrocks?’
“You remove them, put manure and get your soil.
That is what we did. We tell people, ‘You can grow
your vegetables like this,and they are very smart.
You should not go to the market because even if
you have a very small space, you can also have a
multi-storey’”.
That is what we did. We tell people, ‘You can grow
your vegetables like this,and they are very smart.
You should not go to the market because even if
you have a very small space, you can also have a
multi-storey’”.
The lattertechnologyentails fillinga 1,000-gauge-
heavy-duty-used cement bag with soil and layering
ittogrow dhania, sukuma wiki and the like. “It is
more than enough to feed a family,” Mrs Karanja
says.
The farmer has six assistants, who work on shift.
She has a fish pond with 2,000 catfish that have
been harvested twice and sold locally after achieving
one-kilogramme weight. They take six
months to mature.
She has a fish pond with 2,000 catfish that have
been harvested twice and sold locally after achieving
one-kilogramme weight. They take six
months to mature.
At this point, the rain is falling inearnest and we
must go.
Source: Daily Nation
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