He turned mole problem into a business

When Vincent Shibachi failed to join Form One after Standard Eight, he ventured into farming to generate income.

He started growing sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, kales and maize, but every year, he suffered a loss, especially on sweet potatoes because of mole invasion.

This led him to start making mole traps in 2011 using plastic pipes.

He used a small plastic pipe to design the mole trap and put a lock to "arrest" the naughty creatures.

"Since this discovery, moles are now past tense in my farm. I just place the trap in a strategic place on the farm and it captures the creatures. Now I harvest all my sweet potatoes without any loss," Shibachi says.

After making the trap, he set it up and successfully trapped one mole and later trapped 20 moles from his farm and slowly by slowly his farm was mole-free.

"My neighbours noticed this change and sought my services. Now my locality is mole-free, thanks to the traps," he says.

Soon, he turned this idea into a commercial venture "I sell a trap for Sh1,500," he says, noting that he has managed to sell more than 200 traps to farmers in his locality and the neighbourhood.

Vincent Shibachi explains how he uses his innovative technology to trap moles in his farm at Mukango village in Ikolomani, Kakamega County on February 23, 2016. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

He now wants to expand his trap business: "I know there is a wider market for these traps out there. Once I get enough money, I will expand this business to tap into that larger market."

To make a mole trap, he requires a thrre-inch plastic or metal pipe, hinges and rivets. He uses aluminum wire instead of hinges to make a flap door for the trap.