On narrow rural roads where fuel-powered motorbikes once struggled with rising costs and breakdowns, electric motorcycles are now reshaping how milk moves and how farmers are supported in one of Kenya’s largest dairy cooperatives.
Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society has introduced a fleet of 19 electric motorbikes to speed up farm visits, improve milk quality control and cut operating costs, marking a shift toward cleaner, faster and more efficient dairy operations.
The bikes are being used by newly recruited extension officers under a Sh452 million modernisation programme that seeks to tackle long-standing challenges faced by smallholder dairy farmers, including low productivity, delayed technical support and post-harvest losses.
“For dairy farming, time is everything. When support comes late, farmers lose milk and income,” said Githunguri Dairy chairperson John Ndichu. “These bikes allow our officers to reach farmers quickly and solve problems before they affect production.”
The electric motorbikes are part of the Maziwa Faida initiative, a public-private partnership involving the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Tetra Pak and the Swedish Embassy in Kenya. The two-year project combines clean energy, technology and farmer training to boost profitability across the dairy value chain.
Unlike conventional motorcycles, the e-bikes require no fuel and are charged using the cooperative’s solar systems, significantly lowering transport and maintenance costs.
“There’s no fuel, just charging. With solar power, our transport costs drop dramatically,” Ndichu said, noting that the cooperative expects to reduce operational expenses by nearly half.
While the bikes are not directly ferrying milk, cooperative officials say their impact on milk transportation is indirect but critical. Faster and more frequent farm visits mean extension officers can intervene early on issues such as animal health, feed quality and hygiene, key factors that determine whether milk reaches collection centres in acceptable condition.
To maximise the impact of the new mobility, Githunguri Dairy has hired 35 additional extension officers, reducing the farmer-to-officer ratio from 700:1 to 350:1. Each farmer is now expected to receive at least three visits annually.
The officers have also been equipped with laptops to digitise farm records, track productivity and provide tailored advice, signalling a shift from reactive to data-driven extension services.
Michael Vandenberghe, project manager for Tetra Pak’s Dairy Development for Greater Middle Eastern Africa programme, said improved mobility translates directly into farmer earnings.
“When officers can move faster and reach more farmers, they help improve feed rations, animal health and milk quality. That ultimately increases volumes and income,” he said.
Beyond transport and extension services, the Maziwa Faida initiative includes plans to establish a dairy academy at Githunguri. The facility will train farmers in modern livestock husbandry, farm management, recordkeeping, business skills and climate-smart dairy practices.
The project also places emphasis on sustainability, positioning farmers to better withstand climate-related effects such as rising feed costs and erratic weather patterns.
Githunguri Dairy currently processes about 250,000 litres of milk daily and projects production to reach 350,000 litres per day by 2027. Last year, farmers supplied more than 92 million litres of milk to the cooperative.
As electric motorbikes quietly weave through villages and farms, Githunguri Dairy is demonstrating how small-scale innovations can have outsized impacts linking clean energy, efficient transport and farmer support to a more resilient rural economy.
By Grace Naishoo
