Bishop turns tiny garage into thriving soap-making factory
Bishop Lister Otonde at his Tom Mboya Estate premises in Kisumu. PHOTO | ELIZABETH OJINA
Bishop Lister Otonde often preaches that the blood of Jesus washes all our sins away. But this man of cloth is also on another earthly mission: manufacturing detergent to wash away tough stains.
Yes, in the suburbs of Tom Mboya Estate, Kisumu County behind Josana Academy near Victoria Comfort Inn is where you will find the bishop’s cottage industry that thrives in adding value to agricultural produce.
Apart from liquid detergents and toilet soaps, the pastor cum entrepreneur makes mosquito repellent candles and gel as well as body gel from his garage which he has turned into a factory.
He ushers us to his compound — the garage measuring about 5m by 6m hosts three locally made machines that make up Tausi Choice Point Limited.
“Our products use traditional natural herbs with a blend of plant oils available locally. We combine in such a way they provide effective solution to skin problems affecting many people,” says Bishop Otonde who ministers at Word of Life Ministries International.
The company blends seven oils namely palm oil, virgin coconut oil, avocado oil, castor oil, neem oil, leleshwa aloe gel and ganodama mushrooms to make its products. He sources most of the oils from farmers and dealers in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu and Kisii.
“The skin has a lot of challenge in the areas of acne, pimples, rushes, eczema, fungal infections. My quest was to look for natural way to alleviate the challenges and still retain the skin colour,” says the father of seven.
Natural oils have both protective and medicinal value on the skin. Therefore, the blend of the plant oils brings out seven protective properties such as anti-bacterial, anti fungal, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-dandruff, anti-wrinkle and anti microbial as opposed to many soaps with one protective property.
“If the skin needs bathing and protection, you have to buy seven different soaps. For us we decided to have all that in one product. This is the reason we blend the oils,” he explains.
According Bishop Otonde, the oils have properties that treat various skin conditions such as acne, eczema, dermatitis, rashes, pimples, dark and red spots, ringworms and psoriasis.
He uses lye, a basic chemical for making soap, 45 per cent blended oils, ganodama powder, water and aloe gel. The oils are combined in a standardised formulation approved by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).
“I bring out the measurement according to the formulation. After measuring the ingredient, I mix the oils and the aloe gel into blending machine through a process called saponification,” says Bishop Otonde.
The blended solution is dried using fans for an hour until it solidifies. The solid soap is cut into noodles and fed into soap plodder machine to make a bar soap. Using a moulding machine, he shapes and brands the soap.
“Once we have shaped and branded the soap, we cut the rough edges manually using a knife and package. Our 125gm soap goes for Sh250 with monthly sales of Sh375,000,” says the bishop who has employed four workers. He plans to make 15-gm soap for hotel industry and 75-gm soap or export market.
The word tausi is Swahili for peacock that stands for elegance and beauty.
On average the machines can produce 3,600 pieces of soaps a day in span of eight hours.
He also makes body gel using the blended oils and packaging in 75gm plastic tin that sells at Sh150. A pack of eight mosquito repellent candles made of African blue basil goes for Sh150.
Bishop Otonde started the business in 2009 as a hobby after brief training by a friend who had been in the business. He later registered the company in 2013.
“I learned the basics of making soap but my curiosity was looking for ways to make a product that restores the beauty of the skin. I did a lot of research online on natural products.”
Having worked closely with Export Promotion Council, the bishop underwent a series of training in marketing strategy, product promotion and networking in June.
Both the soap, body gel and mosquito repellent candles have the Kebs certification, he adds.
“I had the certification for the body gel in 2013. The soap took a while because of low percentage total fatty matter content. Right now we are at 78 per cent, meaning our soap is grade 1,” he says.
Tausi Choice markets its products through exhibitions and selected stalls in Kisumu, Mombasa and Nairobi.
“Our soaps have reached the entire country, first through referrals. I have sales people who sell them on commission. I have exported the products to Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia,” says the Tausi Choice director.
The bishop says he started the business with Sh250,000 as seed capital and month later took a Sh500,000 loan from KCB to buy a blending machine, soap plodder machine and the candle making machine in Nairobi.
The bishop adds that funding is a major headache in his plans to expand the business and buy the latest machines. He says he is working with a German firm that is willing help him get the automated soap making machine.
Tausi Choice plans to venture into making liquid detergent, and bath gels using papaya, lemon, pineapple and cucumber.
Kebs regional head Martin Nyakiamo says soaps have to be tested based the standards stipulated by the law before hitting the market.
“Often we test for pH of the soap solution, minimum surface active matter, the right surfactant constituents, thickness, odour and colour, among other properties to finally have Kebs certification,” he says.
