Kenya Climate Innovation Center

As the world embraces green solutions, the partnerships we build will determine how fast we get there. In our ongoing effort to strengthen the ecosystem, we recently visited some of our key stakeholders, Gearbox Europlacer and Nation Media Group (NMG) for conversations that were honest, reflective, and forward-looking.

At Gearbox, we built on a collaboration that has already delivered real results across several enterprises under KCIC, most notably supporting Rhea in taking their instant soil testing Agripad from prototype to a deployable solution. We had candid conversations about what has worked, where gaps remain, and how to deepen the partnership going forward, reaffirming that local electronics manufacturing is removing one of the biggest barriers for green entrepreneurs, the ability to prototype and scale without leaving Kenya.

With a strong foundation already in place at NMG, we brainstormed ways to go further by leveraging their platforms to spotlight climate innovations and green businesses emerging from Africa's entrepreneurial ecosystem, while elevating the voices driving the transition to a more resilient and sustainable future across the region.

Together, we are committed to leveraging the power of collaboration to foster a climate-resilient and sustainably developed continent.
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Soil scientists developing instant soil testing tools, expanding to 16 counties in two years. A plastic waste recycling startup growing into a national pipes distribution enterprise. An electric motorcycle that started as a prototype, now hitting the market in its second city. From startups to established businesses: this is what the looks like on the ground.

KCIC's CEO Joseph Murabula and Programme Manager Christine Mbaabu, recently visited clients across the three GreenBiz cohorts, and what they found was remarkable progress.

At Rhea Soil, co-founder Soinato Leboo shared how, through the programme, the team evolved their soil testing Agripad from prototype to a deployable solution delivering instant soil test results. In just two years, the company expanded from one county to 16, growing from 2 to 215 agronomists, giving farmers data-driven guidance on crop selection, fertilizer use, and soil improvement.

At Wenfa Enterprises, what started as a startup has grown into a nationally recognized enterprise supplying plastic pipes across Kenya. Since 2022, the company has tripled production to 180 tonnes per month and created over 80 jobs.

At Kiri EV, the electric motorcycle progressed from prototype, developed with the programme's support, to commercial product, with a proof of concept that unlocked further external investment. The company is now expanding into Kisumu, its second operational market.

With GreenBiz support on business advisory services, mentorship, market intelligence, and financing, what these entrepreneurs have built goes beyond business. It's climate-smart innovation at scale, decent jobs in growing industries, and communities better equipped for the future. That's the GreenBiz story.
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A united Africa negotiates better.

On the latest episode of Sustainably Speaking-Africa, Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli delivers a masterclass in what African economic unity could actually look like in practice. But she doesn't just lay out the vision. She puts the challenge squarely on us: are we ready to use that voice?

It starts with the conversation. Watch here: https://youtu.be/ml1tnzdrlz8?si=md7_vFS2BwNm4OTh or listen in on your preferred podcast streaming platforms.
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This week in Naivasha marked a significant moment for the . On Wednesday, the DREEM team, including spoke partners and cooperatives, participated in the World Milk Day celebrations at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in Naivasha.

Exhibitions on dairy products and technologies provided a fitting pre-onboarding experience, offering cooperatives early exposure and opportunities to network and collaborate with industry stakeholders.
Thursday brought the main event: the official onboarding of Cohort 2, welcoming 26 dairy and horticulture cooperatives from across Meru, Baringo, Nyeri, Murang'a, Machakos, Tharaka Nithi, Narok, Taita Taveta, Bomet, Nakuru, and Makueni counties into the DREEM Programme.

The session opened with Felix Mwaki, Director of Enterprises at KCIC, who highlighted the organisation's mission of catalyzing climate innovation through a people-centred approach. Challenging cooperatives to leverage solar adoption as a pathway to productivity and scale, he put it simply: "DREEM programme is a cow. It's well grazed. All the farmer needs to do is to milk the cow."

Programme Manager James Mbatia emphasised collaboration and peer learning as key to Cohort 2's success, pointing to Cohort 1's results as proof of what is possible. The Solio Ranch Dairy Cooperative has already cut electricity costs by 97%, significantly reducing post-harvest losses and improving productivity.

Rose Naipanoi, a member of Nairangae Enkare Dairy Cooperative in Narok, captured the mood of the events: "These two days in Naivasha have been eye-opening. I had heard about solar energy but being part of the events has made me realise that we can achieve a lot with solar energy."

Over the next year, the onboarded cooperatives will access financing, technical assistance and much more.

DREEM Hub Programme Update!
Following the successful establishment of two solar demonstration farms under Cohort 1: a dairy demonstration farm in Laikipia County and a horticulture demonstration farm in Kitui County, the , implemented by Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) with support from the Mott Foundation, is now expanding from 4 to 11 counties across Kenya.

The results from Cohort 1 demonstrate the tangible impact of this work. The Laikipia demonstration farm, set up at Solio Ranch Dairy Cooperative, has reduced the cooperative's electricity consumption by 97%, bringing monthly power bills down from KES 25,000–30,000 to just KES 1,000. This has enabled more efficient cooling, reduced spoilage, and addressed longstanding challenges of unreliable power and high post-harvest losses.

Building on this progress, the programme will officially onboard Cohort 2 on Thursday, 4th June 2026, welcoming 26 dairy and horticulture cooperatives across Meru, Baringo, Nyeri, Murang'a, Machakos, Tharaka Nithi, Narok, Taita Taveta, Bomet, Nakuru, and Makueni counties. Participating cooperatives will receive technical assistance, energy assessments, access to financing, and capacity building, among other support, with the programme targeting up to 5,000 farmers over a three-year period.

The onboarding event will bring together cooperatives, county governments, development partners, financiers, and renewable energy solution providers to strengthen collaboration and unlock greater access to clean energy solutions for agriculture.

From hiring pickups for every transport need to owning a van that is driving growth. This is one of many milestones in the growth journey of Ecoloop Solutions Africa Ltd.

EcoLoop is a circular economy enterprise turning organic waste into valuable resources through products like the AeroBin 400, a composting unit that breaks down organic waste into compost with no odours and no manual turning required.

With support from KCIC's hashtag , which advances sustainable waste solutions across Kenya, they've just added a key piece of infrastructure: a delivery van capable of transporting up to four AeroBin 400 units at a time. The difference is real.

"The van can comfortably carry four AeroBin 400 units, which is a significant improvement for our logistics. Previously, we would hire a pickup truck at KSh 8,000 to KSh 10,000 per delivery within Naironi, and we'd still had to travel separately, adding fuel and transport costs. Now, the products and the team travel together. It's more efficient and far more cost-effective," shared Ecoloop founder Parivartan Sharma

The van also opens new doors. EcoLoop can now reach customers beyond Nairobi, run live product demonstrations, and provide hands-on after-sales support, all on their own terms.
IKEA

From agricultural waste to climate-smart fertilizer, Victoria Agrotech Limited is transforming how smallholder farmers restore soil health sustainably.
Founded in 2018, the enterprise is converting rice husks and crop residues that would otherwise be discarded or burned into organic biofertilizer that improves soil fertility, boosts crop productivity, and reduces dependence on chemical inputs.

Before joining KCIC’s , the company faced production challenges due to manual processing systems and limited production capacity. With support to acquire key equipment, including a rice husk carbonator machine and shredder, alongside improved packaging and strengthened access to raw materials, Victoria Agrotech significantly improved its efficiency and scaled production to meet growing farmer demand.

Today, the enterprise directly reaches over 20,000 smallholder farmers with sustainable soil improvement solutions. Beyond the environmental impact, Victoria Agrotech has also created inclusive job opportunities for women and youth involved in production and distribution activities.

Read the full story:https://www.kenyacic.org/news/turning-agricultural-waste-into-sustainable-fertilizer
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