On January 17, 2017, Optiven Limited entered into an agreement with Small & Medium Entrepreneurial Resource Center (SME) to do an agribusiness project known as Kilimo Tujijenge Project in Kajiado.
This is a project that was aimed at enabling clients to do Agribusiness farming directly with SME Resource Centre and get returns from their farm produce.
According to Optiven CEO who spoke to Jamhuri News, the Operation model of this project was as follows:
Optiven’s Role:
1. Avail fully equipped land and subdivide it into plots for agribusiness at 100% Optiven Cost – This has been successfully done.
2. Allocate Title Deeds to Kilimo Tujijenge land owners – This has been done to all customers who have completed their payments.
3. Avail Water for irrigating the greenhouses – Optiven has done 6 boreholes, installed backup generator and installed two transformers for sufficient power for pumping the water.
4. Develop internal roads passable by trucks ferrying the produce – This is already done.
5. Fence the entire 200 acres with concrete poles and firm wire mesh – This is complete.
6. Install a control gate and have a caretaker on site – This is done.
7. Put up 10 units of 10, 000 Litres capacity tanks to supply water on the firm – This has been done
8. Construct additional water reservoir for water back up – This has been done.
9. Construct workers’ houses on site, a storage room, a cold room and a kitchen – This has been done.
Role of Small & Medium Entrepreneurial Resource Center (SME)
As the sole farm managers, SME was to do the following:
1. Enter into a contract with Individual farmers, one by one.
2. Receive payments from customers for greenhouses installation, and issue them with receipts.
3. Set up greenhouses, plant, supply seedlings, fertilizer, agronomists’ fee, facilitate farming insurance, greenhouse structure insurance, and management of the project.
4. Market produces and update customers.
5. Sell the produce and pay customers directly to their individual accounts.
When Jamhuri News contacted Optiven for more information about the project, the CEO told our reporter that the company has so far established that SME has so far NOT successfully implemented roles no 3, 4 & 5.
”Together with a number of Kilimo Tujijenge project customers, Optiven is a witness to an ongoing Court Case against SME CEO Josephine Gathoni Njoki with an aim of getting a solution for the benefit of all our Kilimo Tujijenge customers.” Optiven CEO told Jamhuri News.
Jamhuri News will keep following up on the matter and keep the community updated.