Meet Kirinyaga Farmer Who Makes KSHs 250,000 Weekly From Black Army Flies

Jannifer Muthike, a farmer from Kirinyaga County, has turned an unexpected career path into a thriving business by farming insects, particularly red worms and black soldier flies. Initially aspiring to join the Air Force, she enrolled at Moi University in 2012 to study entomology and parasitology, a course she did not choose herself. Despite early reluctance, she embraced the field, which later opened doors to entrepreneurship.

After graduating in 2017, Muthike began learning insect farming under the guidance of an agripreneur and furthered her knowledge at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology. She then launched her own venture, Dudumasters, on her grandmother’s property in Kutus. The farm has 35 rearing beds and produces both high-protein animal feed from mature maggots and nutrient-rich vermicompost, which sells for Sh 50 per kilo.

By 2020, the business had scaled significantly, generating up to Sh 250,000 weekly. Dudumasters also sells insect eggs to other farmers and provides training on proper waste preparation for vermicomposting. Muthike encourages aspiring farmers to start with a small-scale kit costing around Sh 35,000, which can produce 10 kg of protein and 35 kg of organic fertilizer weekly. Her goal is to establish 100 satellite units nationwide, expanding sustainable insect farming across Kenya.