Githurai Maize Roaster Is Now Set to Buy A Posho Mill

“Never give up, sit down and grieve so long as you are breathing.” These are the most intriguing words for Mr. Nakpil Suleiman, commonly known as “Mei” by his customers. He dropped out of high school for lack of school fees.

He has however risen above this fact and began a maize-vending business to sustain himself. He deals with roasted maize, a business which commenced early this year in Mwihoko-Githurai area of Kiambu County.

Nakpil explained to Inversk about his “maize-dent” journey as he commonly calls it. He says it began after sleeping on an empty stomach for a couple of days and when he could no longer take it, he began thinking of a business that would put food on his table.

He wanted a business that required minimal capital. That was when he settled on maize roasting. His starting capital was less than Ksh 2,000 because all he needed was maize, charcoal and a stand. He did not need to stress himself over renting a place monthly. He therefore found a strategic place near an M-Pesa shop close to the bus terminus

Nakpil buys one stalk of maize for Ksh.12.50 which he sells at Ksh 25 making a 100% profit. It is even more profitable when he sells his the maize into portions with the cheapest going for Ksh 10. This translates to Ksh 30 per stalk of maize.

It is a business that Nakpil does in the evening from 4:00pm. This is favorable for the business since most people are leaving work and often times need to grab a bite, the roasted maize comes in handy!

Maize roasting is easily manageable for him, because it only requires good communication skills, to get to prospective customers. Favorable weather condition is a must, because it is in the open. It gives him more than just a meal at the end of the day

Hurdles are however not an exception for this type of business. The recent maize crisis in Kenya, greatly affected Nakpil’s business. High cost of production is another issue that trickled down on his business. When farm products like fertilizers are expensive, maize prices become unstable and greatly affects the pricing reducing Nakpil’s profit.

Climatic hazards like prolonged drought or unfavorable weather conditions lead to destruction of the crop leading to low yields and of course this means a season of little or no maize for the Nakpil.

Nakpil is not exempted from competition just like every other business. Besides him are three other maize vendors but he says what keeps him on track is the good communication skills he possesses and the clean environment he works under.

Even if he is only beginning, Nakpil says he has ambitions in life and will not allow his humble beginning become a hindrance for him. “I love farming and want to start my own maize-plantation where I can harvest my own maize instead of buying, which is cheaper because it cuts down on transportation expenses for getting maize from Githurai market.” He says amidst smiles.

Nakpil is currently saving up to own a posho-mill in future where he can grind maize for flour and this will give him increased profits. He is also very eager to go back to school and says he must get knowledge by all means and complete his high education and there-after enroll for a business course.

His closing remarks were directed to the young people and he had this to say, “As long as you have life, and you are in good health, do what you’ve got to do to make a living. Do it honestly and be hard-working. Give your best to what you do and watch yourself dine with kings. Pray and put God above all, this is key.”