At a time when youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge in Kenya, a group of young entrepreneurs in Nyeri County is carving out a sustainable livelihood through agricultural value addition. The Nyeri Hill Organic Herbs and Eco Fuel Enterprises — commonly known as NOHEFE — brings together 11 members who roast and package natural coffee, selling it at Sh2,500 per kilogram.
Founded two years ago, NOHEFE took shape after members received value-addition training from officials at Rodi Kenya. Group leader Pauline Wanjiru says the enterprise has since expanded its product range beyond coffee to include processed powders derived from guava, soursop, and stinging nettle. These products are actively marketed across several major towns, including Nairobi, Nyeri, and Karatina.
Community goodwill has been central to the group’s progress. A local neighbour donated a portion of his coffee farm for the group to work on, while NOHEFE members help tend the rest of his plantation through regular spraying and weeding. Vice Chairman Samson Ngure says this arrangement has helped raise the group’s profile, with NOHEFE now widely recognised across Nyeri County for its work in coffee.
The enterprise traces its origins to environmental restoration. During 2023 and 2024, members participated in tree-planting drives inside Nyeri Hill Forest, an area that had suffered years of destruction at the hands of illegal timber merchants and charcoal burners. The effort gave the group both purpose and momentum, and project coordinator Peter Chege says they now plan to open a one-stop shop for organic produce in Nyeri town to serve registered farmers in the area.
The ripple effects of youth participation in coffee are also visible at the Kihuyo Coffee Factory, where production figures have shot up dramatically. Output rose from 42,954 kilograms in the 2023–2024 season to 130,251 kilograms in 2025–2026 — more than tripling in just two years. Factory manager Joseph Ndung’u attributes this growth squarely to the rising involvement of young people across the coffee value chain.
In neighbouring Mukurwe-ini Sub-County, farmers are broadening their income sources by venturing into beekeeping. A total of 350 beehives have already been distributed in the area, with natural honey fetching between Sh800 and Sh1,000 per kilogram. It is a welcome addition for smallholder farmers looking to reduce their dependence on a single crop while taking full advantage of the region’s agricultural potential.
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