Shalem Investment Ltd

What the company does and why

Shalem is a family business, founded by Ruth and Daniel Kinoti. Both of their children, Victor and Joy, now also work in the company. Ruth and Daniel's mission is to support and strengthen 30,000 small farmers to increase the production of basic food. In addition, they want to help these farmers create livelihood security through an effective combination of agricultural products, marketing and sales channels.

Shalem's activities are split into three categories. 20% of the turnover is grain trade, 70% is flour production and 10% is animal feed production. The latter category largely consists of processing the residual flow from the production of flour products.

The products are for the local market and are basic products for daily use. A large part of the products are used to make Ugali: the daily 'bread' of the Kenyans (a kind of porridge with a solid substance). Ugali makes a high contribution to the carbohydrate needs of the human body. It also contains vitamins A and C, and a high fiber content. It also contains various minerals. In this way, Shalem makes an enormous contribution to food security in Kenya.

The impact

As mentioned, Shalem is making a major contribution to food security. But there is more. Shalem works with thousands of smallholder farmers, organised in part by Shalem into groups of about 50 farmers. The farmers are trained and supported with inputs and micro-credit.
As the “figurehead” of the company, Ruth is a role model for other (young) women in Kenya, making an important contribution to opportunities for women.

By processing residual flows into animal feed and using solar panels for energy supply, Shalem is taking important steps in sustainable food production in Kenya. Product innovation is also aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. The product solutions ensure a significant reduction in cooking time by the end consumer. This saves enormous amounts of money on charcoal fires.

Over the past ten years, Shalem has proven itself a loyal partner for farmers and a producer of healthy, affordable and important food products. In this way, Shalem contributes significantly to system change, which is important to improve the position of many people in Kenya.