This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
Kenya is home to 3.3 million camels, making it the fifth largest camel hub in the world. In 2014, Bashir Warsame, a 25-year-old agripreneur, returned to Kenya from the United States with a vision to invest in the camel milk industry.
With his father Hassan Warsame, Bashir conducted market research and identified a gap in camel milk production and value addition. They visited various camel-rearing counties to identify potential suppliers of milk and studied research and academic literature to understand the sector.
The duo invested Sh20 million in their company, Kulan Foods Limited, which is located in Industrial Area, Nairobi. They started with 40 litres of milk but are now processing over 300 litres.
Kulan Foods Limited makes a variety of camel milk products, including yoghurt and fresh milk branded as Nuug, which means 'nourish'. The products are sold in major supermarkets in Nairobi, including Carrefour, Chandarana, and Shoprite, as well as through their restaurant in Nairobi.
"We source our camel milk from farmers in Voi and Isiolo, who sell to us in 50-litre milk cans for Sh6,000," says Bashir. "We have two vehicles with inbuilt refrigerators, one for Voi and another for Isiolo, which transport the milk daily."
"We have trained the farmers on how to handle milk to ensure quality standards are maintained. Per day, each herder gives us between 20-50 litres," says Hassan.
According to Bashir, they have an in-house lab technician who tests milk from various herders for quality. Milk that does not meet their standards is not used, and the rest is pasteurised. The products are sold at prices ranging from Sh150 to Sh320.
Dr Kenneth Wameyo, a veterinarian, says laboratory tests have proven that camel milk is highly medicinal and can control diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and asthma. Ewaso Nyiro North Development Authority director, Mr Robert Lemerketo, reckons that the country should embrace camel milk, which he believes has the potential to rival other foreign exchange earners and boost the livelihoods of herders.
Initially, camels were associated with northern Kenya, but other communities have begun to try their luck in herding the 'desert animals'. Bashir says he is carrying out an awareness campaign to help the public embrace camel products.
