From Sh150,000 to global markets: My hydroponics success story

Daniel is part of a global movement revolutionising food systems through urban farming. At his farm, he uses a hybrid aquaponic-hydroponic system—an innovative method of controlled environment agriculture that fuses technology with sustainability.

He launched the venture in 2023 with just Sh130,000 from his savings. Using part of the money, he leased an eighth of an acre and began producing and installing vertical gardening towers made from perforated PVC pipes.

Going international

Two years later, his business has gone global. He now supplies towers to urban farmers in Uganda, Liberia, Rwanda, and El Salvador. Enquiries have also come in from 19 countries, including Spain, Austria, Tanzania, Somaliland, Togo, and Gambia.

“We started in Nairobi, expanded to Nakuru, and now we’re reaching farmers internationally. I’ve supplied over 50,000 towers abroad and installed thousands more in Kenya,” he says. “We target urban communities—people with balconies, rooftops, or 50 by 100 plots.”

Each tower is five metres tall and holds up to 48 plants. On his 3-by-6 metre demonstration plot in Thika, 18 towers flourish—accommodating a total of 864 plants.

A single tower can hold up to six seedlings per level, allowing for either single-crop or mixed-vegetable planting. From spinach and sukuma wiki to mint, lettuce and broccoli, crops mature in 30 to 60 days and can be harvested continuously for up to four months.

The business has expanded from a one-man show to a team of 12. On average, his team produces 100 towers daily—about 500 weekly, with room for more depending on demand.

But success came with challenges.

“We’re struggling to keep up with demand,” Daniel admits. “We’re actively looking for partners to help scale the business.”

Through a new partnership with Zotrax Agricultural Corporation UK, he plans to install 10,000 towers across South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Ghana over the next two years. And while food security remains his core mission, the towers also serve a secondary purpose: they beautify compounds.

Daniel didn’t set out to be a farmer. A University of Nairobi graduate in communications and sociology, he initially dreamed of a career in media and community development. Instead, he entered the IT sector, creating a digital learning programme, and later became the Africa VP of a US tech company, T-Square Robotics.

That path ended abruptly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he lost his job. It brought back memories of growing up in Nairobi’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums—where land for growing food was scarce, and families faced chronic food insecurity.

“I saw how hard it was to get fresh vegetables in places like Mathare and Kibra. So I gave it a try,” he says.

He started by growing vegetables in sacks and old buckets, selling to neighbours while training them to grow their own. But within six months, he was ready for something bolder.

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“I’m an innovator,” he says. “With guidance from a friend who specialised in robotics and cybersecurity, I began experimenting with practical farming systems.”

In 2022, he moved to Thika and built a rudimentary system from used water bottles. That experiment laid the foundation for the tower systems he’s now known for.

The setbacks

The journey, however, has been fraught with setbacks.

He lost Sh1.2 million on failed experiments—including one where 2,000 tomato plants died due to clogged pipes. A project in Nakuru brought in just Sh7,000 from a Sh400,000 investment. Another collapsed due to betrayal. Then, during a land dispute, his materials were burned. Depressed and defeated, Daniel withdrew from work for six months.

The breakthrough

His turning point came when a friend kept calling to ask for a job. “I kept ignoring the call. But she persisted—and I felt guilty. That’s when I decided to give it another shot.”

In 2023, his perseverance paid off. His farm was featured by the United Nations, catching the attention of the diaspora and opening new doors for funding and partnerships.

He has since added an aquaponics demonstration farm to complement his hydroponic systems. Aquaponics, a closed-loop system that integrates fish farming and plant cultivation, enhances sustainability and efficiency.

His hydroponic towers use a volcanic rock medium known locally as peelings—a porous, pH-neutral material that promotes optimal oxygen and water flow to plant roots.

“Because there’s no soil, we eliminate common soil-borne diseases like nematodes, which affect crops like tomatoes. And the system uses less than a litre of water per day to support 48 plants—saving up to 80 percent more water than traditional farming,” he says.

The design is ideal for urban lifestyles, he adds. “You don’t need to dig or weed. Anyone—from, teachers to CEOs—can grow food on their balconies or patios.”

The dream

At 36, Daniel is thinking long term.

“My dream is to open a climate-smart agriculture college. I want to share what I’ve learned and give back to society,” he says.

Then he adds, with a chuckle and a challenge: “Kenyans are incredibly innovative—but we can also be lazy thinkers. I discovered my potential through hands-on work, not theory.”

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