When Yvonne Makena started selling eggs in 2022, she was just a 22-year-old student trying to navigate life on campus.
A third-year student at the Technical University of Kenya, she was living in Kitengela when she noticed that the local shops were struggling to source eggs.
"I realised there was a huge shortage of eggs in my area; most of the time, even when I went to buy eggs, the shopkeeper wouldn't have any. Those who did would sell an egg for Sh20,” says Makena.
Taking a risk, she invested Sh8,000 of her earnings as an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) clerk to buy 30 trays of eggs. She then asked her church whether she could use a room there to sell the eggs.
Today, her business, Milimani Eggs and Hatchery Point, distributes between 8,000 and 10,000 trays a week through two depots in Kitengela and Mlolongo, supplying wholesalers, retailers and institutional buyers.
To kick off this now thriving business, she bought 30 trays at Sh300 each and sold each at Sh400, making a gross margin of Sh100 per tray before transport and other expenses.
On her first day, she travelled by matatu with the eggs, selling some of them on the way home. By the end of the day, she had sold all 30 trays.
Within a month, her working capital had grown to around Sh60,000, and she started buying approximately 150 trays.
Since she attended classes on weekdays, she would sell most of her eggs on weekends, during which she also visited farms to restock. Seven months after starting her business, she moved to a roadside shop as demand increased. One farmer helped her to expand by allowing her to take more eggs on credit.
“When I went to collect my usual order of 150 trays, he would say, 'Why don't you take 300? As soon as you sell them, you can pay me.’ This helped me to grow because I did not always have to pay for everything upfront,” says Makena.
Trays of eggs displayed at Yvonne's depot in Kitengela.
Photo credit: Pool
Facebook also attracted customers from outside Kitengela, including bulk buyers from Nairobi.
"The demand was so high that I would post on Facebook in the morning, and by the time the stock arrived, people would already be queuing up. Sometimes I would bring stock in the evening, and by morning, there would be vehicles waiting to load,” she says.
The white-egg breakthrough
A major opportunity arose when a Facebook post attracted the attention of a director at a company that supplies supermarkets, including Quickmart and Carrefour. The buyer was looking for white eggs, which were difficult to source.
Yvonne had paid a farmer for brown eggs, only to discover that the stock had been sold and that only white eggs remained. Having already hired transport, she accepted about 150 trays.
“I was so annoyed because I had already paid for the eggs and I had customers waiting, but I asked him to give me whatever he had left as I had already hired a vehicle and didn't want to go back empty-handed,” she says.
The buyer inspected the eggs and placed an order. Over time, the relationship evolved to include orders of thousands of trays.
These orders helped her to build up her capital, enabling her to expand into a larger shop and establish a second depot. She now operates from Kitengela and Mlolongo, mainly sourcing eggs from farms in Kajiado and Machakos counties. She works with three major suppliers and several smaller farmers to maintain regular supplies.
Yvonne says that egg prices fluctuate according to supply and demand. For example, when schools reopen, demand rises and farmers may increase their prices. During the holidays, farmers who supplied schools bring more eggs to the open market, which increases supply and puts pressure on prices.
She currently sells smaller trays for around Sh390 and larger ones for Sh435. Bakeries and institutions often prefer larger eggs, while smaller ones are better suited for household consumption.
“Customers collecting eggs from the shop must buy at least five trays. I make deliveries of at least 50 trays to nearby customers in Mlolongo and 300 trays to more distant locations such as Kasarani, Ngong and Rongai,” says Makena.
Transport is one of Yvonne's biggest expenses, with fuel for the delivery vehicles costing her over Sh30,000 a day. Labour is also required for loading and unloading, and poor handling can lead to losses.
Yvonne estimates that the business earns between Sh250,000 and Sh300,000 a month after expenses. However, she says that an entrepreneur operating on a similar scale needs at least Sh1 million in working capital.
Social media plays the biggest role in generating orders, with different platforms attracting different customers. She says that TikTok sometimes brings her more than five new enquiries a day as well as repeat customers, which gives her confidence that her stock will sell, while Facebook connects her with customers seeking large institutional supplies.
"People who find me on TikTok often become regular customers. They might buy 100 trays today, come back tomorrow, and continue buying from me. Facebook brings people with tenders. They may contact me with an order for 4,000 or 5,000 trays, a large order, and then not return for several months,” says Makena.
Like any other business, Yvonne has experienced losses, some of which have almost made her lose hope. Last year, for example, a vehicle carrying around 1,400 trays to Kisumu was involved in an accident, costing her over Sh600,000.
“I have made money, but I have also lost money. Last year, we didn't recover a single tray when that accident happened,” she says.
Breakages remain a risk, while online scams also threaten traders. Yvonne warns buyers against suppliers who advertise eggs at unusually low prices and then disappear after receiving payment.
"People see someone advertising trays at Sh290 or Sh340 and think they have found a cheaper supplier. They send the money, but the eggs never arrive. I have seen people lose Sh200,000 or Sh300,000 in this business. You have to be careful about who you deal with,” she says.
Yvonne graduated with a degree in Psychology in 2024. Although she has not practised professionally, she says that her training has helped her understand customers and solve problems.
"When I graduated, I had a business to run, so I never practised psychology professionally, but I don’t have regrets about taking the course because it has helped me in business. Dealing with people is easier, and I can understand what a customer wants and how to solve a problem,” she says.
Her next plan is to open another branch in Nairobi to serve customers who currently travel to Mlolongo to buy eggs.
