The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with Tetra Pak and funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi, officially handed over 19 electric motorbikes to the Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society (GDFCS) under the Pathways to Profitable Dairy Farming (Maziwa Faida) project.
The e-motorbikes will boost dairy extension services, enabling the 19 newly recruited Dairy Extension Officers (DEOs) to reach more farmers quickly and efficiently, cutting the farmer-to-extension officer ratio from 700:1 to 350:1, and allowing for more personalized and timely farmer support.
“This investment reflects our commitment to modernizing Kenya’s dairy sector through innovation, sustainability, and strong public–private development partnerships,” said Maina Karuiru, UNIDO National Project Coordinator, during the handover.
“The DEOs have already been trained and will now be able to apply that knowledge and expertise to make an impact in the dairy sector,” Michael Van Den Berg, Project Manager, Dairy Development Tetrapak Food for Development, opined.
John Ndichu, the GDFCS Chairman, observed that mobility is a key factor of production, which saves both money and time, adding that with efficient mobility, they look forward to seeing positive results.
36 DEOs have also received laptops and are being trained on the Rumen8 feed formulation tool, strengthening digital record-keeping and supporting faster, data-driven decision-making.
Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society (GDFCS) is best known for revolutionizing Kenya’s dairy sector by becoming a leading processor, especially famous for its Fresha brand of fresh milk, and for empowering thousands of local farmers through quality processing, value addition for yoghurt, ghee, etc., earning a position as Kenya’s third-largest dairy processor.
