Northern Kenya’s pastoralist communities have long struggled with limited market access, middlemen exploitation, and logistical hurdles in livestock trading. But a new digital solution, Wafugaji Trading Hub, is changing the narrative.
The startup is transforming how livestock farmers connect with buyers, opening up a pathway to fair pricing, financial inclusion, and sustainable growth.
In this edition of Techparley’s DRIVE100, where we spotlight Africa’s most impactful startups, we detail how Wafugaji Trading Hub, founded by Keneth Kimathi, is transforming livestock trading in Northern Kenya by digitising markets, connecting pastoralist farmers to buyers, and creating a transparent and profitable ecosystem for the region’s livestock sector.
“Wafugaji Trading Hub is a digital platform transforming how livestock farmers in Northern Kenya access markets,” Keneth told Techparley. “We solve the long-standing problem of limited market access, middlemen exploitation, and lack of digital visibility among pastoralist communities.”
What You Should Know
According to Keneth Kimathi, Wafugaji Trading Hub is a digital platform dedicated to livestock trading. By connecting farmers directly with buyers, the platform eliminates intermediaries, provides real-time market information, and offers logistics coordination for bulk trading.
The platform addresses critical pain points, including:
- Market inaccessibility and price exploitation
- Limited digital visibility for rural livestock keepers
- Unreliable price data and coordination challenges for bulk supply
- Logistics and transport hurdles across remote regions
Through digitisation, Wafugaji Trading Hub empowers pastoralists to grow income, showcase products to wider audiences, and access financial services previously out of reach.
How the Platform Works
Wafugaji Trading Hub is more than a marketplace, it is a comprehensive solution for livestock trading. Key features include:
- Verified buyers and sellers for trust and transparency
- Real-time price updates to enable informed decisions
- Bulk order coordination and logistics support
- Digital training programmes to help farmers embrace online selling
By leveraging these features, the startup says pastoralists can sell faster, earn more, and access national markets from remote areas.
“Our platform connects farmers directly with buyers, offering fair prices, real-time market information, and logistics coordination for bulk livestock trading. By digitizing the value chain, we empower pastoralists to grow their income, access financial services, and showcase their products to a wider audience,” Keneth said.
Standing Out in a Crowded Market
While other platforms like Mkulima Young, Farmers Market Kenya, and local brokers exist, Wafugaji Trading Hub says it differentiates itself by providing a livestock-only marketplace with integrated logistics, verified buyers, and digital training.
“Our unique value proposition is the combination of market access, transparency, and farmer digitisation—something no other platform currently offers to pastoralist communities,” Keneth emphasises.
Since its inception, the startup has achieved significant progress, including:
- Platform Development: Successfully built and launched the digital marketplace (currently under revamp).
- Strategic Partnerships: Collaborated with World Vision Isiolo to train farmers in digital livestock business practices.
- Recognition: Winner of the Commonwealth Presidential Innovation Award 2023 for innovation in livestock digitisation.
- Outreach & Impact: Hundreds of pastoralists have been empowered with digital marketing and livestock management skills.
- Pilot Sales: Facilitated discussions for bulk supply of 200–300 goats weekly to Nairobi-based aggregators.
The platform has onboarded over 500 farmers, strengthened networks with NGOs and youth advocates, and generated growing interest from institutional buyers seeking reliable livestock suppliers.
The Team Behind the Innovation
The Wafugaji team combines local knowledge with technical expertise. The team includes:
- Keneth Kimathi – Founder & CEO: Visionary leader with over seven years of experience in digital marketing and tech strategy, focused on livestock value chain transformation.
- Julius Lenkoidad – Co-founder/Operations Lead: Oversees livestock aggregation and transport, bringing practical field expertise.
- Christopher Nure – Tech & Platform Development Lead: Designs and develops the farmer-friendly, mobile-first marketplace.
- Peter Lenayasa – Partnerships & Community Engagement Lead: Manages NGO collaborations and training programmes for pastoralists.
According to Keneth, their combined experience ensures a deep understanding of both technology and pastoralist market realities, making them uniquely positioned to solve the challenges of digital livestock trading.
Vision for the Future
In the next 6–12 months, Wafugaji aims to:
- Onboard over 1,000 farmers
- Expand market linkages to Nairobi and beyond
- Launch a mobile app with integrated logistics features
- Strengthen partnerships with NGOs and county governments
Looking 2–3 years ahead, the platform plans to scale across Northern Kenya, enable cross-border livestock trade, and introduce digital payments and financing options.
Within five years, Wafugaji aspires to become Africa’s leading digital livestock trading platform, connecting over 100,000 pastoralist farmers to profitable markets while promoting climate-smart livestock practices.
Unlocking Africa’s Tech Potential
Keneth highlights that government support is crucial for enabling startups to thrive. Venture capitalists also have a role beyond funding, offering mentorship, strategic guidance, and connections to institutional buyers can help tech startups achieve sustainable growth.
Regarding AI, Keneth notes that while it drives efficiency and innovation, challenges such as job displacement, privacy concerns, and digital exclusion remain.
The biggest barrier for Africa’s tech ecosystem, according to Keneth, is the gap between innovation and accessibility. Affordable internet, digital skills, and supportive infrastructure are still lacking in many regions.
Africa’s food and agriculture market could increase to $1 trillion by 2030. Despite this strong macro‑trend, large portions of the value chain remain informal, fragmented and underserved, especially in remote pastoralist regions.
Experts say Wafugaji Trading Hub is a lifeline for pastoralists, connecting them to modern markets, fair pricing, and financial inclusion. As Keneth and his team continue to scale, the platform is setting a benchmark for tech-driven, inclusive development across Africa’s livestock sector.
Talking Points
It is impressive that Wafugaji Trading Hub has digitised livestock trading for pastoralist communities, addressing a long-standing barrier of market inaccessibility and price exploitation.
This single feature alone positions Wafugaji as a practical solution for real business challenges, especially for farmers in remote areas who previously depended on middlemen or struggled with logistics.
At Techparley, we see how platforms like this can accelerate digital transformation beyond urban centres, creating opportunities for rural communities to participate fully in the digital economy.
The integration of verified buyers, real-time price updates, bulk order coordination, and digital training means pastoralists can now trade with the same efficiency and transparency as larger commercial suppliers.
With the right strategic support, Wafugaji Trading Hub has the potential to become a catalyst for financial inclusion, fair trade, and sustainable growth in Northern Kenya’s livestock sector.
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