Agriculture is often dismissed as a dirty job, a career path few parents would encourage their children to pursue. Yet, for some graduates, it has become their bread and butter. Today, they hold managerial positions in farms once seen as sites for menial labour.
The Business Daily spoke to some who are slowly changing the narrative.
When Emma Wanjiku enrolled for a Dryland Agriculture and Enterprise Development course at Kenyatta University, she had no idea what it entailed. It was also not her first choice.
“Initially, I wanted to study something related to weather and become a meteorologist. But after joining, I found it interesting. At the time, we were only 26 of us in class,” she says.
Today, as the Mutara Orchards farm manager, she sits at the helm of the fast-growing horticultural farm in Laikipia County.
Mutara Orchards is a 2,000-acre agricultural enterprise that farm primarily grows avocados and vegetables, with over 200 hectares dedicated to avocado trees and 84 hectares to vegetable cultivation.
“We also have barns, livestock, and a robust water harvesting system through dams. I have been working with Mutara for three years now.”
Emma grew up in Uthiru, Nairobi and had no interaction with farm life until she got her first authentic taste during her attachment.
“The farm exposed me to export crops like chillies and French beans. I handled weeding, planting, fertiliser programmes, and irrigation schedules. That’s where my career began.”
Today, her role entails overseeing seven departments: sales, security, business development, and animal husbandry.
“My daily routine starts as early as 5am. I clear my office emails and review requisitions for fertilisers and chemicals. By 8am, I am out in the fields rotating between the avocado and vegetable sections, depending on the activity schedule. You never lack something to do on the farm. Crops change daily. I check on irrigation, spray coverage, fertiliser applications, and even how tractors are operating,” says the 30-year-old.
Emma shares that while her degree laid the foundation, most of her skills have been honed. “In school, you get a general overview. In practice, you quickly learn that land preparation for avocados is very different from that for vegetables. You learn these things from experience, mentorship, and continuous training.”
Having reached the peak of her career at a young age, what is next for Emma? She says that continuous learning and upskilling is a necessity in her field.
Farm Manager at Mutara Orchards Limited Emma Wanjiku poses for a photo during an intervierw at Nation Centre building in Nairobi on May 5, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
She has taken several professional development courses, including Safe Use of Pesticides, Agribusiness Management, and a UK-based programme in Basic Health Facts focusing on fertiliser application based on soil analysis. She has also completed Strathmore University’s New Managers Programme and is currently enrolled in its Women in Leadership course.
She stresses, “You can’t just stop at a degree; everyone has one. You have to layer yourself above that. These courses have sharpened my leadership, boosted my confidence, and helped me interact better with senior managers regardless of age or gender.”
What motivates her?
Emma points to the changing climate and the urgent need for innovation in agriculture. “Rain-fed farming is no longer viable. We need to adapt, and that’s where my background in dryland agriculture comes in,” she says.
Emma’s most rewarding part of the job is “having a happy team working for me and reaching our yields target. I enjoy working with jovial people who are excited about work.”
Just as is the situation with every farmer, Emma’s dread is the unpredictable weather, especially the heavy rains that bring hailstones.
“You may have planned to, for instance, harvest 50 tonnes of onions. But then we get heavy rain, and your yield is significantly cut. Nature can destroy you in a glance, but you can do little about it,” says Emma.
Another challenge has been staying updated. The European Union, she notes, is making it difficult to farm.
“They are banning most of the products (pesticides) we use, which are good at managing pests and diseases. When they keep cutting the list down, farming becomes hard. Another challenge for me has been getting employees who are genuinely passionate about farming.”
Emma hopes to continue growing in her leadership role and mentor young professionals. The mother of one says, “I’ve come far in just seven years, and I know there’s still more to learn and give. Agriculture is not just about planting and harvesting; it’s a business, science, and leadership.”
Is farming a financially fulfilling career? Emma says that there is no job group when it comes to being a farm manager. “It is up to you to push your value. However, you can find a farm manager earning over Sh1 million. It is all about telling them what you want to be paid and showing that your competence and expertise are worth the money.
Kevin Mbogo: From a passion for GIS to blueberry farming
Growing up, farming was never on the radar for Kevin Mbogo, the Irrigation and Maintenance Supervisor at Kakuzi Blueberries.
“I dropped Agriculture when I was in Form Two. When I was joining university, I wanted to study urban planning. That was my first choice. But then I was admitted to study Land Resource Planning and Management. I’ve always been passionate about the environment, but I honestly didn’t know where this course would take me professionally,” the graduate from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology says.
He observes that many of his former classmates still grapple with that uncertainty.
Kakuzi Blueberries’ irrigation and maintenance supervisor, Kevin Mbogo, during an interview at the farm in Machakos County on May 6, 2025.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
“The course is broad; it touches GIS (Geographic Information System), agriculture, water resource management, and land use planning. So, it depends on where your interests fall. I was interested in the geospatial side of things. Using GIS, my undergraduate project mapped fire hazards and resilience in Kibera, Nairobi. As a survey and mapping officer, this skill brought me to Kakuzi in 2018."
The same year he joined Kakuzi, the agricultural company was piloting its blueberry division, and Kevin played a critical role in laying the foundation. “I was involved in identifying the land, surveying, building the greenhouses, and designing the irrigation system. I became more involved in operations, growing, maintaining, pest and disease control, irrigation, all the way to export,” the 30-year-old says.
He now oversees more than 35,000 blueberry plants spread across 20 greenhouses.
Kevin says it is an intensive, detailed work that calls for hands-on and systems thinking. “In this job, if you’re not wet, you haven’t done something. I enjoy getting my hands dirty, wearing gumboots and overalls, especially during the rainy season. It’s part of the hustle.”
The blueberries at Kakuzi aren’t planted in soil but in pots, using a system called fertigation where fertilisers and water are delivered via computer-regulated drip systems.
Everything the plant needs must be provided manually, based on weather, soil tests, and plant responses. “It’s precision farming. You have to adjust irrigation based on whether it’s sunny or rainy. It’s highly automated, but you still need a human eye.”
A typical day for him starts at 7am.
“Farming is energy-intensive, so you must use the cool morning hours wisely. That’s when you assign tasks, prioritise operations, and enter the field. Afternoons are usually for data entry and planning for the next day,” he says. He oversees a large team, and human resource management is something he’s had to grow into.
“You can have the best irrigation systems, the best seedlings, but without the right people, you won’t go far. People management in farming is an underestimated skill.”
If there’s one time of year Kevin lives for, it’s harvest season. “That’s when you reap the fruits of your labour. All the planning, the sleepless nights, the observation; all come together at this time,” he says, adding, “Harvest happens once a year, but its success is built on hundreds of decisions made every single day; when to irrigate, how to manage pests, when to prune. These decisions must be made quickly and accurately.”
While the work is demanding, Kevin says the unpredictability of farming is part of its beauty.
“Some days are fast-paced and hectic, others are calmer. It’s a wave, you ride it.”
For someone who once imagined himself in front of a city planning board or managing tech systems, Kevin says he’s found a surprising sense of purpose in the blueberry fields. “I’m glad where the roads led me. I didn’t see myself in agriculture, but this has become a very rewarding career. It is structured, it’s technical, and it feeds people. What more could you ask for?”
How Victor Kariuki found his calling in farming
By the time the sun rises, Victor is already on the move. At 6 am, he’s up, preparing for another day of overseeing production for overseas markets. It is a routine he’s grown to love, which seems a world away from the life he once envisioned.
The farm manager at Grazers Barn Limited, Victor Kariuki poses for a photo at the farm in Rumuruti, Laikipia County.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
“I never thought I’d end up in agriculture. I planned to do something along the lines of physical planning. Still, somewhere along the way, I just fell in love with farming,” the graduate of Land Resource Planning and Management from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology says.
Farming has seen Victor work at farms in Israel and the US. Today, he is the farm manager at Grazers Barn, a herb exporting farm in Rumuruti, Laikipia County.
The farming seed was planted in the 32-year-old’s heart from a young age. “My parents were tea growers in Kiambu, and their daily routines shaped my early understanding of work, land, and responsibility. Grazers Barn grows herbs and baby vegetables like beetroot, courgettes, and baby carrots; all harvested when young and packed with nutrients. Our markets are mainly in the Netherlands and the UK,” he says.
During his first year at the university, Victor applied for an exchange program that would eventually take him to Israel for a year, where his classroom knowledge blended in with hands-on farm training.
“In Israel, it was a combination of school and work. We would attend classes and then work on farms to gain practical experience. It was a very enriching programme,” he says.
After Israel, he moved to the US in 2020. He spent the year working, helping manage over 50 varieties of potted flowers, and at an organic farm that grew a wide range of fruits and vegetables. “I was a trainee agronomist. It was a good time. I didn’t even want to return to Kenya, but my visa expired and I didn’t want to overstay.”
Back home in early 2021, Victor returned to his roots. “I helped manage my parents’ farm and dabbled in small-scale vegetable growing as a side hustle. However, I wanted something more challenging. So I checked LinkedIn and that is where I found an advert from my current employer. Yes, agriculture jobs are on LinkedIn too,” he says.
Now based in Laikipia, Victor leads a team of five agronomists, manages farm operations, oversees compliance, and ensures production meets the rigorous demands of export clients.
“A normal day start at 6am for me. We get casual workers daily, so I have to be on site by 8am to assign roles and ensure everyone knows what to do. Then I handle operations, checking on packaging materials, coordinating with clients, reviewing chemical supplies, and handling compliance paperwork. I also double up as the operations manager. There’s a lot of planning involved from harvest schedules to documentation and ensuring all the Standard Operating Procedures are being followed.”
It’s a demanding job, but Victor says he thrives in the rhythm of farm life, “in the satisfaction of watching a crop mature and knowing it’s heading to dinner tables across the globe. Looking back, I think everything aligned. From the exposure abroad to working on my family farm, it all prepared me for this.”
