Mr Patrick Mwangi displays parts of a briquette processing machine in Nyeri. PHOTO | FILE
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Entrepreneur says source of green fuel not only puts food on table but it also helps save trees at the Coast.
A heap of coconut waste dumped by the roadside in Kaloleni-Giriama, Kilifi, is a common sight in many coastal areas.
Little thought was given that the husks were anything more than an eyesore until Agnes Uchi Mramba, a resident, was educated on their use as a clean, renewable source of energy.
Ms Mramba has the Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT) to thank for training her on how to turn the husks into briquettes to replace the expensive kerosene and charcoal as a source of fuel in the kitchen. The briquettes cook longer than charcoal and pollute the environment less.
When she started, Ms Mramba used a manual machine but with the help of MESPT, she acquired an electrical machine for Sh100,000 with a capacity of producing 1.5 tonnes of briquettes in a day.
“I started the business in 2013 and at first I was not serious with the work. But when demand rose and I saw the income was good, I decided to give it my full concentration. I use coconut husks and shells that are thrown away after use. Most coastal foods are cooked with coconut,” she says.
Ms Mramba has since quit her job as a pre-primary teacher and together with her husband established Angaza Kenya. The demand for their briquettes has grown and their lives changed for the better.
The briquettes ensure households use the renewable energy for lighting and cooking, she said, adding that trees would be saved and there would be less pollution from fossil fuels.
After seeing off her children to school at 8am, she gets down to work which mostly entails mixing the husks with molasses and burning the mixture in a compartment that creates a low-oxygen atmosphere.
The sells the charcoal briquettes to both domestic clients and commercial businesses like schools and hotels as far as Nairobi and Nakuru.
“I used to live in a house that had no electricity but thank God I can afford to live in one that has power. I also do not have any problem with my children’s school fees. The business is good because it does not take a lot of your time and the best part is that the market is there,” she said.
On a bad month she sells less than 900kg but when demand is high, sales hit 10 tonnes.
The price of one kilogramme of the briquettes varies with the client and distance. Nairobi buyers pay Sh60 per kilogramme, those in Mombasa pay Sh50 while her neighbours pay Sh30.
“I never thought there would come a time that I would start a successful business. I blame it on the many sad stories we’ve heard of entrepreneurs who didn’t succeed in their endeavours. But I believe that when you get the correct niche in the market, you will never be disappointed,” she said.
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