Twenty-nine-year-old Ian Mutisya has inspired many young men after revealing that he has been paying his PhD fees from his 1.5-acre onion farm located at Miwani on the outskirts of Machakos town.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Nation, Mutisya said that he only spent Sh175, 000 to install the project that has transformed his life.
“I grow them under drip irrigation and they will be ready for market in three weeks,” he says, adding that he had invested Sh175, 000 to install the irrigation system.
Mutisya also said that he had planted a half a kilogram of hybrid Jamba F1 seeds from Monsanto at a cost of Sh23, 000. He noted that this is going to be his third harvest.
“This would be my third harvest. For the first two seasons, I planted on a small portion and sold onions worth about Sh50, 000. This is what encouraged me. I am now expecting more than Sh150, 000 from the current portion.”
He pointed out that prices of the onions vary depending on the supply. “Prices vary depending on the supply in the market. When onions from Tanzania flood the market, prices fall to as low as Sh40 per kilo,” he said.
Mutisya, who is a holder of a Masters degree in Information Technology and currently pursuing a PhD in software engineering at the University of Nairobi, said that he is a proud farmer and does not need support from his retired dad.
“I told my father to enjoy his retirement because I am raising my fees from onions. I am confident that I will do it,” said the young man.