Growing up in a family that relied on farming as the economic mainstay, Joshua Gitonga noted some of the challenges his parents encountered, including access to credit and lack of market for their produce.
He knew he would offer the market solution in the future, a dream that has transformed the lives of over 30,000 farmers.
The Maseno University political Scientist is the founder of Rafikipay Ltd, a company that deals with the extraction of sunflower oil.
“My parents and my community had challenges in accessing finances and market for their agribusiness ventures. This experience shaped my life decisions to fully venture into sunflower aggregation and Sunflower oil extraction,” he says.
Through his company, Gitonga helps sunflower farmers get the best out of their ventures. He provides comprehensive training on best farming practices, pest management, and climate adaptation strategies.
Rafikipay Limited also facilitates the distribution of certified Hysun 33 sunflower seeds and allows farmers to monitor their yields, manage inputs, and track sales efficiently.
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The firm further gathers data to optimize farming practices and predict market trends, protecting farmers from losses as a result of flooded market.
Founded in 2018, Rafikipay limited is currently working with over 30,000 smallholder farmers across 15 counties in Kenya.
Gitonga notes that the demand for cold-pressed sunflower oil is 1.2 million litres annually, with 78 percent targeted for export, particularly to the growing European market.
He is optimistic that in the next five years, Rafikipay Ltd will be accountable for the 50 percent of the sunflower oil exported from Kenya and 50 percent of the total cold-pressed sunflower oil consumed locally.
His immediate focus is on expanding within Kenya, especially in regions engaged in sunflower cultivation, with dreams of scaling operations to meet increasing demands in Europe, targeting both Italy and other potential European markets, still in place.
“Through the Rafikipay Farmers Management System (RFMS) and our commitment to empowering smallholder farmers, Rafikipay Ltd is positioned to lead in sustainable sunflower production and processing, ensuring economic growth and environmental stewardship,” he says.
Gitonga notes that the business has had a fair of challenges among them climate change which nearly kicked him out of the business.
“The starting was very tough, I thank God I started anyway. There was those tough times I almost gave up, climate change is real. Unpredictable rain and flooding really affected my farmers who are my suppliers. There was absolutely no support from authorities. Today a lot has changed I am receiving support from many quotas,” he explains.
In addition, access to quality raw materials was a nightmare forcing him to train farmers on the production of the best high yielding certified seeds.
The farmer revealed that his breakthrough was in April 2022 when the country experienced a serious edible oil shortage.
The shortage saw consumers turn to alternative products such as sunflower oil, coming as a boost for sunflower oil processors.
In Kenya, sunflower is majorly grown in Kakamega, Meru, Homa and Kajiado counties, as well as parts of the North Rift and Coastal region.
The crop is more drought-resistant and its oil has no cholesterol. It is recognised for helping in reducing non-communicable diseases like hypertension and cancer that people get by using chemically-preserved cooking oil.
