President William Ruto has cultivated a distinct identity as a successful farmer behind an agribusiness empire, with dairy farming among the ventures minting him millions. His farm, Koilel Farm, located in Moiben Constituency, Uasin Gishu County, is at the heart of his agribusiness empire. The farm covers a total of 98 acres and is situated on the outskirts of Eldoret City, approximately 14 kilometres from the Eldoret–Nakuru Highway.
Ruto visited his Koilel farm on October 10, 2026, amid a debate over his remarks that Kenya should turn to buffaloes and camels to meet local demand for milk. The visit gave Kenyans a glimpse into his dairy farming venture that is minting millions. A video of the visit showed the president deeply engaged in a conversation with one of the staff at the farm as he closely observed the animals.
Koilel Farm has a modern feeding system designed for efficiency, and the president was seen scooping a handful of feeds from where his dairy cattle were feeding and inspecting it keenly. He then went on a brief tour around the dairy section, moving to the state-of-the-art milking section where modern technology takes centre stage. The mechanised milking equipment extracts the milk, which then flows through a network of pipes into a central collection system.
The farm was registered in 2015 with the President, First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto, and Nicholas Kipkurgat Ruto among the shareholders. It specialises in mechanised crop production, particularly maize and vegetables, with part of the harvest used to feed livestock in the dairy and beef sections of the farm. The farm also makes chicken feed, as admitted by Ruto in a past interview.
Ruto has other farms, including Yegen Farm, which is the hub of his chicken farming enterprise, 2500-acre Kisima Farm in Taita Taveta County, and Intona ranch in Narok. His agribusiness empire also includes large-scale poultry production and egg sales, alongside maize cultivation. The president has built a significant portion of his wealth through these ventures.
The visit to Koilel Farm showcased the president's hands-on approach to agriculture and his passion for commercial farming. The farm is a significant part of his agribusiness empire, and the video of the visit gave Kenyans a glimpse into his dairy farming venture. The debate over his remarks on buffaloes and camels for milk production has been ongoing, with some Kenyans supporting the idea and others opposing it.
The president's dairy farming venture is one of the many successful ventures under his agribusiness empire. With his other farms and ventures, Ruto has established himself as a successful farmer and entrepreneur. His approach to agriculture and commercial farming has been widely discussed, with many Kenyans looking up to him as a role model.
Key points
- President William Ruto visits his Koilel dairy farm in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, amid debate over his remarks on using buffaloes and camels for milk production.
- Koilel Farm is a significant part of Ruto's agribusiness empire, with a modern feeding system and state-of-the-art milking section.
- The farm specialises in mechanised crop production and livestock farming, including dairy and beef sections.
