By Arnold Lutomia and Nelly Adhiambo, Kakamega
The construction of the first ever organic fertilizer Manufacturing Plant in Kakamega County has kicked off at Matawa Industrial Park in Mumias town.
The plant is being constructed by the Regen Organics with support from the county government and the United States government through the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid).
The 80,937 square meter manufacturing plant is Regen Organic’s second facility in Kenya.
At least 1000 direct jobs will be created and over 36,000 tons of waste will be converted into fertiliser annually.
Regen Organics will manufacture insect protein for animal feed, and over 7,000 tons of organic fertilizers, making it easily accessible for farmers to practice regenerative agriculture.
“The fact that this great company is investing in sanitation and hygiene, converting waste into energy makes me to feel like the climax of my leadership has come just when I am beginning my first term,” said Governor Fernandes Barasa during the ground breaking ceremony
“This company will target to collect wastes from the entire LREB region with its population of over 14 million people. The fertilizer manufactured will be available to farmers in this region at subsidized prices,” he added
Governor Barasa said the county faces a huge challenge in the management of wastes due to rapid urbanization, adding that generation of waste is increasing at an alarming rate.
“Kakamega and Mumias towns alone generate upwards of 2400 tonnes of waste per day. Yet we have a capacity of mopping just about 1200 tonnes of solid waste per day,” said Barasa
He said that the plant is being put up at a cost of Sh1.2 billion and within 18 months, the plant will be fully operational. “The intervention of Regen Organics will accelerate our own pace to ensure access to sanitation and hygiene by all by 2030 as per SDG 6.2 and Africa Agenda 2063,”
“I am thrilled to learn that this partnership will generate over 500 full-time, permanent jobs in Kakamega and the western region over the next three years. This achievement will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the economic prosperity of the region,” says Margaret ‘Meg’ Whitman, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya.
Regen Organics’ first manufacturing factory located in the outskirts of Nairobi processes 60,000 tons of organic waste annually and utilizes solar power and renewable fuels to produce 8,500 tons of organic fertilizer distributed in over 40 counties within Kenya.
“Regen Organics robust technologies are ripe for scale, not just in Kenya but throughout
Africa and beyond. The time is now for a regenerative agriculture movement that restores
farm ecosystems, improves food security, and builds thriving economies,” says David
Auerbach, Co-founder and President, Regen Organics.
Michael Lwoyelo, Managing Director, Regen Organics said that the launching and operationalizing of factory in Kakamega accelerates Regen Organics 5-year goal of supporting over 250,000 farmers to improve their livelihood via regenerative agriculture.
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