Kenyan maize miller Korokwony revives dormant facility through private investor lease

KENYA – Korokwony Millers, a women-owned processor in Bomet County, known for Angaza flour brand, has been leased to a private investor, Solid Millers, after being dormant for seven years.

Solid Millers is led by prominent farmer and former national chairman of the Kenya Grain Growers Association, Hugo Wood.

The agreement was signed by Mr Wood and officials of the women’s group led by Ms. Recho Langat outlining the terms of operation, with the mill set to revert to the women’s group after an undisclosed number of years.

The mill was constructed in 2011 with KES 150 million (US$1.1M) in grants from the Chinese and Kenyan governments to boost the area’s economic welfare by buying maize produce from local farmers.

In 2014, Bomet County further injected KES 18 million (US$130,000) into the mill which saw the group re-launch production of Angaza flour.

However, later, the company announced that it was facing a raw material shortage leading to underutilization of the mill coupled with mismanagement, which led to its closure in 2018.

The lease agreement with Solid Millers, therefore, is now seen as a positive step towards revitalizing the mill and creating opportunities for local farmers.

Ms. Langat, the group’s secretary, emphasized that the property has not been sold but leased out.

“We have not sold the property but leased it out,” said Ms Langat

Ms Lang’at expressed satisfaction that the company, dormant for seven years, would now roar back to life under Solid Millers.

With a capacity to process 550 bags of maize per day, the mill had been operating below capacity due to a lack of raw material and a low capital base held by the group.

However, the renewed operations are expected to source maize from Kericho, Narok, Bomet, and Nakuru counties, providing farmers in the region with a ready market.

Founder chairperson of the society, Ms Priscilah Tesot, assured that shares of deceased members had been transferred to their children in the spirit of continuity and articles of association.

On his part, Mr Wood, owner of Solid Millers described the signing ceremony as a historic day, pledging to renovate the mill promptly and operate it for the next few years.

As the plant begins its operations anew, the collaboration with private investors holds promise for the future of farming in the region, which has borne the brunt of maize lethal necrosis disease for the past 15 years.

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