Ashoka Fellow

Introduction

Being named an Ashoka Fellow was a significant milestone in my journey of rethinking how agriculture can create lasting prosperity for rural communities. Over the years, I came to realize that many efforts to improve the lives of smallholder farmers focused only on increasing production or providing short-term support. While well intentioned, these approaches rarely addressed the deeper structural challenges that kept farmers trapped in cycles of poverty. I became convinced that the real opportunity lay in redesigning the relationship between farmers and industry so that both could succeed together.

The New Idea

My work is built on a simple belief: farmers should not only produce wealth—they should own a share of it. Instead of treating farmers as suppliers at the edge of the value chain, I developed a model that brings them into the heart of the business. Farmers are organized into small, highly accountable production groups and connected with existing processing companies that need a reliable supply of raw materials. As these partnerships grow, farmers earn income from their produce while gradually acquiring equity in the very businesses they support, transforming them from suppliers into co-owners.

The strength of this model lies in its ability to align incentives. When farmers have an ownership stake, they become invested in quality, consistency and long-term success. At the same time, processing companies benefit from dependable supply chains and stronger relationships with the communities they serve. What emerges is not merely a commercial partnership, but a shared commitment to building sustainable enterprises that create value for everyone involved.

The Problem

Agriculture remains one of Kenya’s most important economic sectors, supporting millions of families and contributing significantly to the country’s economy. Yet for decades, many smallholder farmers have struggled with limited market access, low productivity and weak value chains. The decline of local industries, coupled with fragmented agricultural systems, has left many farming communities producing just enough to survive, with little opportunity to build wealth or invest in future generations.

Having worked closely with rural communities, I saw that these challenges were rarely caused by a lack of effort or ability. More often, they were the result of disconnected systems that failed to link production, processing and markets in a meaningful way. It became clear to me that lasting change would require more than isolated interventions—it would require rebuilding the entire ecosystem around the farmer.

The Strategy

My approach begins by identifying existing processing companies that have strong market potential but lack a consistent supply of quality raw materials. Once these partnerships are established, farmers are organized into production groups and equipped with the knowledge, discipline and financial skills needed to operate as successful business units. Every group works toward shared standards of accountability, productivity and collaboration, ensuring that they can reliably meet market demand.

Through this process, farmers do more than supply products—they build ownership. A portion of the value they create is converted into equity, allowing them to gradually become shareholders in the processing companies. This model has since grown into multiple value chains under the Akili brand, spanning products such as coffee, dairy, honey, herbal products, nutritional supplements, leather and fresh fruit beverages. By building on locally available resources and existing markets, the model has proven to be both scalable and sustainable, demonstrating that inclusive business can drive rural transformation.

The Person

My journey began in the rural village of Kirinyaga, where I learned the values of hard work, curiosity and solving practical problems from an early age. Those lessons stayed with me throughout my career in technology, consulting and corporate leadership, where I gained experience building businesses, improving systems and leading organizational change. Each chapter of that journey reinforced my belief that complex problems can be solved when people are empowered with the right structures and opportunities.

Today, my mission remains the same as it was when I first began working alongside farming communities: to create systems that enable people to thrive through ownership, enterprise and shared prosperity. Being recognized as an Ashoka Fellow was not simply an acknowledgment of past work—it was an affirmation of a vision that continues to guide me as I work toward transforming agriculture across Kenya and, ultimately, throughout Africa.