Inside the limitless world of project management

Chris Onyango, 40, is a businessman and projects manager at the West Kenya Machinery Ring (MR) with over 10 years of experience in the field of project management. At the West Kenya MR, he promotes use of machines to over 5,000 smallholder farmers as a way of maximising their produce and earnings. He has worked in more than five projects, all centred around promotion of smallholder farming in Bungoma and Nyandarua counties.
He believes in creating opportunities for others while utilising the available chances instead of waiting for white collar jobs.

What does your job entail?
As a project manager, my role includes establishing machinery ring hubs. The hubs work as service centres for farmers within a given area of operation. Due to the challenges faced by farmers in finding a sustainable and dependable market for their produce, we facilitate access to machines including mobile shellers and small milling machines to aid in reducing postharvest losses, improving quality of produce and also diversifying the market for that produce.

How did you end up in this career? Was it your dream job?
Growing up, I wanted to become a lawyer but I ended up in the agriculture sector after offering to help revive a local cooperative society after my Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Education. The lessons I learnt when working with the cooperative society helped me in my subsequent work where I have established various value chains, as well as in managing ring hubs.

I hold a degree in Development Studies from Busoga University in Uganda. I do not regret my change of career path since I find full satisfaction in what I am doing now.

For how long have you been working as a project manager?
For more than 10 years, in five different projects. The projects involved production of mangoes, passion fruits, cassava, sorghum and soya beans in Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Busia and Homa Bay. I am currently the project manager for MR where I have been based for the last two years. My roles in the projects have always revolved around formulating strategies on retention and identification of new markets, organising community training and developing training manuals, organising for logistics, fundraising for identified projects among other roles.

Kindly take us through your typical day…
My work day starts at 8am or earlier, depending on tasks to be accomplished. I get to the office by 8am, check emails, liaise with various machinery ring boards to pass communication or get feedback on previously set agenda. I then have meetings with stakeholders or farmers who visit the office. Thereafter, I either attend various training sessions that we organise or visit a few fields planned for the day in a specific machinery ring to check on progress. I then close my day at around 5pm.

What does it take to be a good programmes manager?
My job requires patience, especially because I always work with different groups of individuals. Commitment, passion, good networking and leadership skills are other important qualities one needs to succeed in this field.

What are some of your achievements so far?
One of my greatest successes is being able to successfully establish eight machinery ring hubs with a total membership of 5,700 within a year (in 2022).

I have also been able to establish a soya bean production and marketing structure that saw farmers supply soybean directly to various buyers for the first time in Kenya. The model has now been adopted by a number of farmer organisations who work with small holder farmer contracting systems. Other achievements include transforming farmers’ earnings from Sh5,000 to over Sh100,000 per season, which helps to cater for family expenses, including paying fees and improving feeding.

What are some of the common mistakes that farmers make that lead to low production?
Many farmers rarely conduct a post benefit analysis, which only means that at the end of every season, they do not have a clear picture of the amount of inputs and outputs from the farm, so they have no knowledge on whether they are making profits or losses.

Most of the farmers also underestimate the potential of good and timely land preparation while others have continued to hold on to the traditional methods of farming despite mechanisation. Mechanisation remains important especially with the increasing effects of climate change.

What is your advice to the smallholder farmers in the country? 
Adoption and proper utilisation of machines and technology is likely to improve production by up to 60 per cent and reduce cost of production by 40 per cent. It is therefore high time farmers dropped the traditional farming practices for sustainable agricultural production.

What are some of the challenges you encounter in your work?
Most of the programmes I have done are community centred. Wrong perception by the beneficiaries about the project is something I have had to handle most of the time. To overcome this, I always take my time to ensure my audience understands the programme before embarking on anything.

At times, farmers also believe I have knowledge and solutions to all their problems which is also not the case. We can only solve one challenge at a time while in some instances, we have to source for help externally. Other challenges include the changes in the government policy.

What advice would you give to younger people who would want to pursue a similar career path?
This career has limitless opportunities since it is flexible and fits into any sector. It guarantees you roles either in self-employment, or as an employee. 

What do you in your free time?
When I’m not working, I always take my time to visit my farm, read books, spend time with family and also catch up with friends while listening to good music.

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