Veteran Radio and TV personality Fred Obachi Mahoka is popularly known for hosting the Rhumba Show ‘Roga Roga’ on Radio Citizen and Citizen TV.

Unknown to many, Fred Obachi also fills his pockets from the hospitality industry. He is the owner of the famed ‘Uncle Fred’s Ranch’ in Kisaju, Kajiado County.

He has incorporated a Western cowboy theme into his business, complete with horse stables, rodeo hats, an orchard, and even livestock.

The property which sits on a 15-acre piece of land has hosted some notable personalities including Azimio leader, Raila Odinga and the former head of state Uhuru Kenyatta.

The place is a sight to behold with neatly trimmed lawns. It also includes a school of hospitality in the finesse it bears.

The ranch gives a serene environment to meditate, bond with nature and have fun too. They offer horse riding classes, host picnics, farm tours, swimming and camping.

Farming is not a get-rich-quick scheme

Fred’s ranch, along the Kitengela-Namanga road, is managed by Obachi’s son, Victor Machoka. He holds a degree in hotel and tourism management.

Along with his father, they worked tirelessly to conceptualize the agritourism venture to life.

One might assume that it was a straightforward task to establish the place, but Obachi would disagree.

In a past interview with a local media house, Obachi disclosed that he almost got High Blood Pressure from trying to make it work.

“Oh yes! That’s what people think when they visit this ranch for the first time. Many assume this must be so easy, if Fred did it, I can also do it. Some have tried to replicate the idea but have failed miserably because they do not know the thorns behind this rosy story,” he said.

In 1993, Machoka bought a 50-acre piece of land in the remotest parts of Kajiado. Many people thought he was crazy as the only people living there were a few Maasai pastoralists.

At the time, the prices were Sh. 47,500 per acre, a very expensive deal. Ever the dreamers, he and his wife Sophie took the risk. 30 years later, it has finally paid off, but at what price?

To purchase all that land, Machoka took a loan from Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC). As the modern age dawned upon the world, so were interest rates escalating.

Fred Obachi eventually had to sell 30 acres of the land to pay off the loan from AFC. He faced a harsh reality.

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“Initially, I bought 50 acres and took a Sh1.6 million loan and by the time I cleared, it had shot to Sh7.5 million because of interest. I struggled to repay it. I was forced to sell off 30 acres to repay the loan and finance my project,” he recalls.

Painful days and nights ached him but his wife’s support kept him unbroken and he soldiered on until he cleared the loan. At this point, Machoka had picked so many valuable lessons.

In the following years, Machoka decided to establish a sustainable and rewarding project on the land. His first trial was dairy farming.

He bought a few high-grade cows from Murang’a County, built structures on his land, bought feeds, hired a farmhand and opened his hands to the money that he was manifesting.

Sadly, he was in for a rude shock. Heartless thieves stole all his newfound possessions, never to be seen again.

“It almost gave me high blood pressure, but I survived,” he noted.

“Many people think farming is buying land on Monday, bringing in cows on Tuesday, selling the milk on Wednesday and by weekend one is a millionaire. No way…”

Machoka was not ready to give up. Rent prices were increasing at his Nairobi home. For that matter, Machoka packed his bags and built at his Kajiado land.

Once they were settled, the family dedicated their time & efforts to developing the ranch.

With his wife’s landscaping skills and his son’s managing and marketing skills and thanks to proper research, they established Fred’s Ranch in 2016.

To tap into value addition, they set up an orchard where most of the cooked food is grown; purely organic and straight from the farm.

Fred Obachi has also grown fruits which include mangoes, Hass avocadoes, Pawpaws, Pomegranate Fruit, Lemons, tangerines and pixies.

“I do not do this project for profit. For me, it is more of therapy. I do this to give back to the community and connect with nature” Machoka maintained.