Amid Kenya’s persistent unemployment crisis, many individuals are pivoting away from traditional white-collar jobs in search of alternative livelihoods. One such individual is Immaculate Ochieng, whose story reflects a journey from being a stay-at-home mom to establishing a thriving poultry business that sustains her family.
Immaculate’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2012 when she used funds from her chamaa savings to kickstart a chicken business. Initially, she invested in a 60-capacity egg incubator and two crates of eggs totaling Sh. 1,800. With support from her husband, who assisted in expanding her enterprise, Immaculate was able to grow her venture significantly.
“I started this business after deciding to move beyond being a stay-at-home mom. My husband supported me by investing in birds and constructing the poultry house. Later, I purchased a Sh. 44,000 incubator and a feed mixer,” she recounted.
Today, Immaculate manages over 700 kuroilers, selling both eggs and meat birds, and offering chick hatching services. She operates a 3,000-egg capacity incubator, providing brooding services to fellow farmers, including chick vaccination and feeding.
Immaculate’s business yields approximately 860 eggs every two weeks, with 350 kept for hatching. She sells unfertilized eggs at Sh. 330 per crate and fertilized ones at Sh. 900. Additionally, she sells hatched chicks weekly, priced between 300 and 500 each.
To mitigate feed costs, Immaculate purchases ingredients like maize germ, sunflower and cotton seed cake, pollard, grounded shells, and salt from trusted suppliers in Kisumu. She emphasizes the importance of reliable sourcing to ensure feed quality, noting that some market offerings may compromise poultry health.
Immaculate views her poultry venture as a gateway to prominence in the farming sector, enabling her to engage with industry leaders. Her success underscores the potential for non-traditional employment avenues to empower individuals amidst economic challenges.
