From Half‑Acre to a 106‑Acre Sugarcane Farm, Redempter Makokha Shows How Reinvestment Pays

Redempter Makokha turned a half‑acre plot in Mumias into a 106‑acre sugarcane enterprise, acquiring tractors, a six‑bedroom home and funding her children’s education.

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After her marriage ended, Redempter Makokha returned to her father’s home in Mumias, Kakamega County, with five children and no income.

Her father gave her half an acre of sugarcane land on the condition that she work hard, a directive that set the course for the next two decades.

The first harvest produced KSh 26,000, which she reinvested to lease additional land instead of spending it on household needs.

By repeatedly reinvesting earnings, the farm expanded from the original half acre to more than 106 acres of sugarcane, supported by two tractors for land preparation and transport.

When Mumias Sugar Company resumed operations in 2021, Makokha quickly restored her supply relationship and later received a bonus of KSh 317,000 for the 2023‑2024 period.

Challenges faced and broader significance

The prolonged closure of Mumias Sugar Company left many local farmers without a reliable market, forcing Makokha to sell to lower‑paying factories for more than seven years.

At times sugarcane rotted in her fields and earnings fell, yet she persisted, underscoring the resilience required of smallholder women in a sector traditionally dominated by men.

The farm’s success enabled Makokha to build a six‑bedroom house and fund her children’s education, including a daughter’s studies in the United Kingdom.