Kikuyu Man Had to Quit K24 TV Job and Forego KES 1.3 Million Annual Benefits To Build KES 800, 000 Chicken Farm

Caleb Karuga had to forego KES 1.3 million in benefits when he quit his K24 TV job. Every day he would pray to have a way of getting out of the job and build his company. Sooner than later, he was laid off along with many of his coworkers. In retrospect, Karuga believed this was a blessing in disguise.

Many people think that farming is a dying profession, but Karuga saw many profitable agribusiness opportunities and he couldn’t wait to set himself running.

Karuga, who is Wendy Farms’ founder, admit in How We Made It in Africa book that he disliked farming while he was a teenager. He was exploited as free labour in his family’s agricultural businesses, as were other children in his rural area.

Karuga began by establishing Wendy Farms on a one-acre plot of land in central Kenya. He now owns three farms, where he raises thousands of native chickens, quails, guinea fowls, and dairy goats, as well as growing butternut, strawberry, sweet potato, and sunflowers.

Is It Overnight Success?

Wendy Farms hosts groups of 30-40 individuals every Saturday for chicken farming instruction. For one session, Karuga charges KES 1,000 per participant.

Karuga bought 200 pigs when he first started farming since pigs were the ‘it’ thing at the time. The endeavour failed due to a lack of thorough research.

He tried again, purchasing two chickens and one cock.

“When the two chickens began to produce eggs, I decided to purchase more hens from nearby farms.” Because some of the chickens had not been vaccinated, this was my worst blunder. Over a month and a half, I lost roughly 200 chickens. I discovered that you should never buy birds if you are unsure if they have been vaccinated.”

Persistence and Determination

Karuga, never one to give up lightly, bought 500 day-old chicks from the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute but lost money again when his subordinates sold the chickens while he was away.

“Theft by staff was the biggest issue we had to deal with.” I paid KES 100 for each chick, and after a month of feeding them, my staff sold them for KES 50 apiece. I’d be informed the chickens had ‘died’ of ailments as they grew older.”

Karuga persisted and purchased another 1,500 chicks, but egg output remained low due to the lesser diet he utilized. Karuga eventually realized that selling day-old chicks would earn him three times as much as selling eggs.

Despite his early setbacks, Karuga claims he has gained a lot of knowledge along the road.

“I believe in perseverance in the face of adversity. I don’t take it personally when a business endeavour fails. It is the company, not me, that has failed. I may have made a mistake, but I have chosen to remain vigilant. I don’t make long-term judgments based on ad hoc circumstances.”

Advice for Youth

While it’s wonderful to see more young people interested in agribusiness, Karuga cautions against romanticizing the industry.

He cautions that anyone interested in a career in agriculture must first have a passion for it.

“If the sole reason you’re in business is to earn money, you’re in the wrong business.”

What we’re witnessing is people getting into farming after reading a newspaper story. They don’t do prior study and have no interest in farming.