Mark Mwanyinywa is busy every day tending to his chickens a far cry from his previous life as a secondary school teacher in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. After fleeing his home country due to escalating insecurity, Mwanyinywa found himself in Kenya, trying to rebuild his life from scratch. Today, his medium-sized iron sheet coop holds about 800 chickens, which he expects to sell to the local community. As the festive season approaches, he projects a good sale, smiling with confidence an indication of how far he’s come since his journey began.
A New Beginning in Kakuma
Twenty-two years ago, Mwanyinywa arrived in Nairobi as a refugee, seeking safety and a fresh start after leaving a well-paying job. After a decade teaching French, he moved to Kakuma in 2014. The transition was not easy—he initially worked as a security guard, then as a hygiene promoter, and eventually found employment as a teacher. Despite a stable income, he felt the urge to do more, driven by his entrepreneurial spirit. “The salary we were being paid was not enough to sustain my family, and that is why I had to think of another business I would engage in when free,” he explains.
Starting from Scratch
In 2018, Mwanyinywa began poultry farming as a side hustle. He started with 30 chicks ordered from Eldoret, attracted by the high demand for chicken in Kakuma particularly from local hotels. “Most hotels in Kakuma were ordering chicken from distant areas. This presented me an opportunity to raise them here,” he recalls. However, his budding business faced a setback later that year when the camp authorities announced a planned repatriation of refugees, forcing him to sell all his chickens and farming equipment. It was a low point for Mwanyinywa, but he refused to give up.
The Role of KCB in Rebuilding a Dream
After the repatriation plan fell through, Mwanyinywa was determined to rebuild his poultry farm. He needed support, and that’s where Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) stepped in. KCB, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) through the Swedish Embassy in Kenya, launched a guarantee programme in 2023, aimed at empowering refugees through access to loans. Mwanyinywa was selected to be a beneficiary, undergoing a verification process by the Danish Refugee Council in partnership with the Department of Refugee Services. “If it was not for KCB, I would not have been able to reach the number of chickens I have today,” he says, reflecting on the support that allowed him to restart his poultry business.
The loan from KCB enabled Mwanyinywa to reestablish his farm, ordering new chicks and feeds to slowly rebuild his business. With hard work and dedication, his farm grew from a small initial flock to the 800 chickens he houses today, with plans to scale up further. His success is also a testament to the bank’s broader initiative to support refugees in Kenya. As of August 2024, KCB had disbursed about Sh30 million in loans to 25 refugees like Mwanyinywa, part of the Sh1 billion set aside to boost refugee-led businesses across Kenya. The goal is to support more refugees in 2025, with the structures now in place to facilitate easier access to loans.
A Support System Beyond Business
Mwanyinywa’s story is not just about personal success; it’s about community impact as well. By employing three other workers fellow refugees he has provided jobs and opportunities for others in the camp. He has also become a mentor to other farmers, training over 60 local farmers in poultry farming. These farmers purchase chicks from him, further contributing to the local economy and food security in Kakuma. A one-month old chick goes for Sh400, while a three-month old is Sh900, making it accessible for more farmers to invest in their businesses.
Looking ahead, Mwanyinywa plans to scale his poultry farm even further, aiming to reach 2,000 chickens by next year and 5,000 by 2026. His focus now is repaying his KCB loan within the next two months so that he can borrow again to expand further. The support from KCB has not only provided him with the means to grow his business but also the confidence to plan for a sustainable future. “I’m very grateful for the support from KCB. It’s what keeps me going,” he concludes.
In Kakuma, Mwanyinywa’s story is a beacon of hope, illustrating how targeted support can transform lives and enable refugees to thrive. His journey underscores the importance of access to finance in helping vulnerable populations become self-sufficient and contributing members of their communities. As KCB continues to expand its reach and support for refugees in 2025, stories like Mwanyinywa’s will be critical in demonstrating the impact of such initiatives.
