Maize shelling is how I make a living, Nakuru man reveals

Joseph Njoroge

Joseph Njoroge, 40, knows how to adjust according to the times in order to stay financially relevant.

The man, who also doubles up as a boda boda rider, has seen the ingenuity of investing in a maize shelling machine and is making a killing with it and is not regretting having invested heavily on it.

Daily, he is seen moving with the machine loaded on the carrier of his motorbike looking for farmers in need of his services in the village of Wanyororo, Nakuru County, and the surrounding areas.

He charges Sh70 for one 90kg bag of shelled maize.

He says he acquired his jua kali made machine after selling a heifer he was raising and from proceeds of his boda boda business.

It cost him about Sh50,000 and he is slowly recouping the money.

"The problem with many is seeing some investments as unnecessary because of the amount involved in acquiring a thing even if it is for temporal use. However, if you look at the big picture, you will realise not all investments are bad," he says.

With manual shelling of maize slowly ebbing out and many farmers seeking quicker services, Njoroge is always on call.

His machine comes in handy from the month of November all the way to February. Some farmers usually store maize in cobs opting to have them shelled once the dry months set in.

His daily take home ranges from between Sh1,000 to Sh1,500. The amount is far better than the Sh500 he rakes while operating as a boda boda rider.