Busia, Busia County – In Busia town, a 44-year-old businesswoman, Catherine Njoki, has successfully expanded her yam business from a small-scale retail operation to a flourishing intercountry export venture, thanks to the government’s initiative of providing free public WiFi. Njoki’s business, which had a modest beginning with a capital of Sh.10,000 three years ago, now manages orders up to Sh.200,000 from various farmers.
According to Kenya News Agency, Initially, her operations were confined to local customers in Busia, but she gradually expanded to fulfill orders from hotels and hospitals, gaining trust due to the quality of her produce. This growth in her business led to employing workers for packing and fulfilling large order deals in Nairobi and Kisumu.
Njoki, who also runs a successful pig farm in Angorom Village, Teso South, a few kilometers from Busia town, initially ventured into the yam business as a side hustle. She recounted to Kenya News Agency (KNA) how she started with an investment of only Sh.10,000, aiming to supplement her income from pig rearing.
The expansion of her business was significantly boosted by the launch of free public WiFi in Busia. The WiFi, a part of the Kenya Kwanza Government’s Digitalization Plan under President William Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), was introduced to facilitate digital engagement and e-commerce for the youth and market traders.
The CS for ICT, Eluid Owalo, during the launch of the Busia stage WiFi, highlighted that the public WiFi initiative aims to help the youth engage in e-commerce. This digital push has been instrumental for Njoki, who decided to capitalize on the online market to reach a broader customer base.
Njoki’s business has not only scaled up in terms of reach and volume but also in its impact on the local community. She has provided employment to over 20 youths involved in packing and transporting yams and has positively affected the lives of many farmers in both Busia, Kenya, and Uganda, offering them a reliable market for their produce.
Known as ‘Mama Nduma’ at the local stage, Njoki remains optimistic about the future prospects of her business. She hopes to one day supply her products to the statehouse. Her business serves as a testament to the transformative impact of digital connectivity on local enterprises. It also represents a step towards combating smuggling and encouraging legal trade, which benefits the government’s revenue collection.
Njoki’s success story is emblematic of the opportunities that arise from the government’s efforts to enhance internet connectivity across the country. President Ruto, in his Mashujaa Day national address, announced plans to lay an additional 100,000 kilometers of national fiber optic to further boost internet connectivity.