Kenyan women agripreneurs stood out as key winners at the 2025 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA), held during the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar, Senegal.

Kenyan Innovators Shine at 2025 AGRA Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards
Betty Kibaara, Juliette Kakwerre Wambui Chege and Roberta Edu Oyedokun during the WAYA Gala Dinner

The WAYA Awards, a flagship initiative under AGRA’s VALUE4HER programme, celebrate women who are catalyzing transformative change within African agriculture. This year’s edition attracted nearly 2,000 applications from across the continent, with innovations spanning sustainable farming, agricultural technology, value addition, and inclusive business models.

Finalists represented a diverse range of impactful initiatives in ag-tech, sustainable agriculture, value addition, and community leadership. Entrants came from a wide array of countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Kenya’s Winners: Leading the Continent in Innovation

Two outstanding Kenyan entrepreneurs were honoured among Africa’s top agribusiness leaders.

Mathildah Amollo, founder of Greatlakes Feeds Ltd, received the Grand Prize of the 2025 WAYA Awards. Established in 2021 in Siaya County, her company specialises in producing high-quality fingerlings and eco-friendly fish feed. Greatlakes Feeds Ltd is deeply committed to women’s empowerment, sourcing 70% of its raw materials from women farmers and offering credit-based access to fish cages and inputs. This model enables women to enter commercial fish farming, helping to combat exploitative “sex for fish” practices around Lake Victoria, while also addressing issues of malnutrition and overfishing.

Joyce Waithira Rugano, founder of Ecorich Solutions, was named the Female Ag-Tech Innovator of the Year. Her company converts organic waste into fertiliser using the “WasteBot Decomposer,” a solar-powered machine capable of producing fertiliser within 24 hours. Ecorich partners with over 400 women waste collectors in Nairobi and supplies eco-friendly fertiliser to farmers, contributing to a circular economy built around waste management, soil health, and women’s economic advancement.

Other 2025 WAYA Winners from Across Africa

In the category of Women Empowerment Champion, Juliet Kakwerre N Tumusiime from Uganda was recognised. As the founder and CEO of Cheveux Organique, she leads the production of Africa’s first biodegradable hair extensions made from banana fibre. Her innovation repurposes banana stems into high-value beauty products, creating income opportunities for more than 2,000 rural women.

Julienne Olawolé Agossadou from Benin received the Resilient & Inspirational Leader award. An agronomist and founder of SEDAMI – La Reine des Champignons, she launched her enterprise in 2014. The company transforms rice husks into a fertile medium for mushroom cultivation, enabling rural women to improve family nutrition and earn an income with minimal land and resources.

In the Outstanding Value-Adding Enterprise category, Roberta Edu-Oyedokun from Nigeria was honoured. As the founder and CEO of Moppet Foods, she leads a women-led nutrition company that addresses child malnutrition through biofortified cereals and spreads. The company’s flagship product, Moppet Nutriblend, is the world’s first fruit-infused peanut spread.

The Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star) award was presented to Onicca Sibanyona of South Africa. A self-taught herbalist and rural entrepreneur from Limpopo, she operates Jwale Farms while pursuing studies in Food Innovation & Regeneration. A mother and community leader, she also fundraises for Kgatelopele Clinic and was the recipient of the 2024 Scale Out for Impact award. Her farm strengthens rural resilience by providing clean water, nutritious food, and climate-smart agribusiness training for youth and young mothers.

Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star) – Regional Winners

In East Africa, Arlène from Burundi was recognised. She founded SEFACO at the age of 24 to boost women’s involvement in fish farming. Through the “Village-École des Femmes,” SEFACO trains young women, produces fish and fingerlings, and transforms ponds into training centres and business clusters to promote local economic inclusion.

Representing West Africa, Baliqees Salaudeen-Ibrahim of Nigeria, a climate advocate and CEO of Green Republic Farms, was awarded. Her farm employs greenhouse and soilless farming technologies powered by renewable energy to grow premium vegetables. The enterprise reduces post-harvest losses and emissions, trains rural youth and women, and enhances productivity among smallholders.

From Central Africa, Elie Mbeki Busha Pongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo received the honour. An agronomist and founder of La Fleur, Elie launched the company in 2022 to provide healthy alternatives to industrial seasonings. The business produces 100% natural bouillon cubes in flavours such as Barbecue, Shrimp, Vegetable, and Flavoured Chilli, while supporting sustainable agriculture and market access for young farmers.

In Southern Africa, Lusungu from Malawi, a social entrepreneur and founder of Lweya Honey, was recognised. Her enterprise trains women and youth in beekeeping and forest conservation, supplies essential tools, buys honey at fair prices, and adds value through products such as beeswax candles and balms sold in Mzuzu and Lilongwe.

During the fifth edition of the WAYA award ceremony, AGRA President Alice Ruhweza praised the impact and resilience of this year’s winners. She stated, “Across every category, these founders have turned constraints into thriving enterprises. Collectively, they’ve increased annual incomes by an estimated 35 per cent, saved millions of tonnes of produce from spoilage, and delivered food to over 500,000 households across the region. Their businesses prove that innovation and resilience are alive across Africa’s food systems. At AGRA, our role is to back them with stronger policy support, smarter finance, and access to bigger markets so they can multiply their reach and drive systemic change.”

Nana Yaa Boakyewaa Amoah, AGRA’s Director for Gender, Youth & Inclusiveness, added, “The pipeline of women agripreneurs is deep and growing. We are seeing more technology-driven models, more regional trade links, and real evidence of job creation, especially for women and youth. VALUE4HER exists to open doors to capital, buyers, and the right networks so these women can lead from the front. Their success is vital to inclusive food systems transformation across the continent.”

Serving as a judge for the 2025 WAYA Awards, Martha Haile, Founder & CEO of Abze Africa, reflected on the calibre of this year’s applications. “As a judge, I was consistently impressed by the ingenuity and grit on display. These women leaders faced significant barriers with an incredible ability to adapt. Examples ranged from using sensors to protect bee colonies to innovating waste-to-income models. Their work goes beyond mere survival; it redefines resilience. It is a true honour to celebrate a generation of leaders who are not only building and scaling their businesses but also uplifting entire communities.”

The WAYA initiative, which was launched at the AGRF 2021 Summit, has become a central pillar of AGRA’s efforts to strengthen women-led agribusinesses across Africa. It is a key component of VALUE4HER, AGRA’s continental programme dedicated to supporting the ecosystem of women in agribusiness.

https://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/L-R-Betty-Kibaara-Juliette-Kakwerre-Wambui-Chege-and-Roberta-Edu-Oyedokun-during-the-WAYA-Gala-Dinner-1024x683.jpghttps://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/L-R-Betty-Kibaara-Juliette-Kakwerre-Wambui-Chege-and-Roberta-Edu-Oyedokun-during-the-WAYA-Gala-Dinner-150x150.jpgFarmersTrend# TrendingSuccess StoriesKenyan women agripreneurs stood out as key winners at the 2025 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA), held during the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar, Senegal.The WAYA Awards, a flagship initiative under AGRA’s VALUE4HER programme, celebrate women who are catalyzing transformative change within African agriculture. This...New Generation Culture in Agriculture