2. Magana Flowers
Kenya Limited-
Magana Family
believes in the
following core
values, every
employee must try to
implement them.
1. Respect: All employ-
ees of Magana and Com-
munities around must be
treated with respect. You
also deserve respect.
2. Responsibility:
Everyone in Magana is ex-
pected to work with minimal
supervision as all employees
are trusted to do so.
3. Discipline: In Maga-
na we advocate for mainte-
nance of discipline of mind,
body and action.
4. Dignity: MFKL em-
ployees should hold their
heads high, knowing they
are regarded as mature men
and women of honour. No
one should be robbed off his
or her dignity.
5. Environment: Here
at Magana we continuously
maintain, protect and im-
prove our environment. Also,
we try to create and uphold
a clean and healthy work-
ing environment by always
observing cleanliness and
hygiene.
Also, we
Magana
Employees
should live these
other values:
1. Initiative: All Maga-
na employees are trusted in
their work, thus are expected
to be innovative. Please use
initiative and innovation.
2. Integrity: There is no
gap in what we say and do.
There is continuity between
our thoughts and actions. We
must all be honest at work.
3. Accountability:
We are accountable to each
other, our customers, suppli-
ers and to ourselves too.
4. Freedom from
Fear at Work: Here in
Magana Farm no one should
have any fear of intimidation
or losing job unfairly. Em-
ployees are also free to join
any legal organization, and
have the liberty to associate
with whoever they choose to.
5. Energized Team:
Our employees are mature,
independent and responsible,
they work as a team.
6. Customer
Centricity: We offer
our customers the highest
quality flowers taking care
of their changing tastes and
times.
7. Competitiveness:
We try to create the most
cost-efficient and customer
focused structure.
8. Corporate
Governance: We ad-
here to ethics of governance
to win the trust of our cli-
ents.
In our relationship
to the company, to
other
employees and to
the
community please,
we should try to
show these values.
They affect our
professional and
social standing in
the eyes of other
people.
These values also
determine if other
people will respect
us, as much as we
respect them.
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Magana Flow-
ers employees
on a driving
training.
Magana Flowers supervisors and in charges being trained on leadership and
management.
Besides, formal trainings,
Magana Flowers employees
are given a chance for skilled
trainings:
(a) Computer, Driving
and Diploma in Hair
Dressing and Beauty.
From 2005-2013:
(i) 110 employees, their
immediate family members
have been helped with
Ksh 398, 000 to get
computer use trainings.
(ii) 272 sponsored for driving
course at a cost of
Ksh 2.22 m and given
driving licenses.
(iii) 78 trained on Diploma in
Hair Dressing and Beauty at
a cost of Ksh 2.17 m.
(b) Capacity
Building.
(i) Magana Flowers Joint
Board Capacity Building-
From 2004-2013; about 290
Joint Board Members have
been trained on Financial
Management, Project Plan-
ning, Implementation and
monitoring at a cost of
Ksh 2. 47 m.
These trainings are targeted
at tooling and retooling the
joint board members
With skills to enhance Maga-
na Flowers Fairtrade Wel-
fare Group project
management.
(ii)All Employees Capac-
ity Building- Also all Maga-
na employees from 2010-
2012 have been sponsored for
capacity building training at
a cost of Ksh 660, 000.
This training is designed to
sensitize and enhance under-
standing of Fairtrade con-
cepts, and Industrial
Relations among employees.
(c) Knitting Course
26 employees in 2005 were
funded for a knitting course
at price tag of Ksh. 67, 000.
Magana Flowers employ-
ees sponsored for Diplo-
ma in Hair Dressing on
thier gradution (2010).
(d) Tailoring Course
Again, 68 employees in 2005,
2013, supported with
Ksh 390, 000 for a course in
tailoring and dress making.
(e) Fairtrade Aware-
ness Campaign:
440 employees in 2011 were
given branded T-Shirts and
Umbrellas worth
Ksh 704, 000 as part of
the promotional strategy to
create an understanding of
fairtrade concepts amongst
the employees of
Magana Flowers.
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Skilled Trainings
3. Educational
Development
(b) Ngure
Classroom
Construction
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Welfare Group in 2010 funded
construction of a modern class-
room at Ngure Primary School
worth Ksh 999, 185.
(c) Rungiri
Classrooms
Renovations
In addition, the welfare organ
in 2008, sponsored renovation
of 16 classrooms and donated
50 desks to Rungiri Primary
School. All this was done at a
cost of Ksh. 197, 820.
(d) Kanjeru Desk
Donations
150 desks worth
Ksh. 343, 582 were donated
to Kanjeru Primary School in
2010 and 2011.
(e) Sanitary
Towel
Donations
Girls in Mama Ngina, HGM
Kinoo, Thogoto and Nderi Pri-
mary Schools in 2010 and 2012
were given sanitary towels
worth Ksh. 165, 120.
Green Care
In 2012 Magana Flowers
Fairtrade Welfare Group-
sponsored planting of 1000
Eucalyptus and Gravaria
grandis trees worth
Ksh. 30, 000 in Ngure, HGM
Kinoo and Mama Ngina Pri-
mary schools.
Trees planted
in Magana
Flowers as
part of the
farm’s far-
sighted care
for the envi-
ronment.
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A Classroom in Run-
giri Primary School,
before renovation of
16 classes supported
by MFFWG.
One of the classrooms after
repair.
Ngure Primary School
pupils ready to plant
trees donated by
MFFWG.
MFFWG
donating
sanitary sowels
to HGM Kinoo
Primary School
girls.
Rungiri Pri-
mary School
pupils enjoy-
ing learning in
desks donated
by MFFWG.
MFF Project Admin,
Ms. Catherine Wan-
jiku with Kanjeru
Primary School
pupils, when
MFFWG donated 100
desks to the school.
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…
Magana Farm Establishment
Dr. Magana Njoroge
Mungai; Chairman,
CEO MFKL
under greenhouses. In all
roses planted.
Magana Flowers
Farm Locale
Magana Flowers is situated
at Kikuyu, along Nairobi-Na-
kuru Highway, 40Km from
Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport, and
the main airfield in East Af-
rica. 18Km from the centre of
the city of Nairobi-precisely
from the General Post Office:
GPO, and 4km from the west
boundary of Nairobi City.
The temperatures here at
Magana Farm range from
8-280
C. It is cool. It is suit-
able and indeed very pleas-
ant. It is never too hot or
extremely cold.
The land on which Magana
Flowers stands was bought
from some British-South
Africans in 1967. It was con-
verted to a flower farm from
a dairy farm in 1994.
In 1994, Magana started
growing rose flowers for ex-
port. We started with 2
hectares and increased it to
about 4.5 hectares and to 7
hectares.
At the beginning we were
growing flowers on the soil;
after a while we converted
the growing medium to hy-
droponics.
We used Cocoa peat and
pumice as the medium on
which we grew roses in
troughs and tunnels.
After the introduction of this
we did not grow our flowers
on soil again. The seven hect-
ares that were under green-
house rose growing were all
converted into hydroponics.
Whatever we grew later, we
all grew on hydroponics.
We now have 18 hectares-
about 42 acres-which are
Magana’s
Outstanding
Farming
Practices
Sustainable
Use of
Water
Here at Magana
Farm we ensure
that every drop
of water used is
accounted for by
using the follow-
ing methods:
1. Drip Irrigation:
We use drip irrigation in our
greenhouses. This method
is very economical in water
use, thus water resources at
our disposal are used sus-
tainably not a faster rate
than they can be replen-
ished.
Drip irrigation pipes on troughs with
pumice, roses growing
2. Fertigation Fluid
Recycling: Besides we
re-circulate fertigation fluid.
We collect fertigation fluid
from every trough in each
greenhouse. This liquid is
collected in the fertigation
fluid collection tanks at the
end of each greenhouse.
From here the fluid is
pumped into fertigation re-
cycle tanks. In these recycle
tanks the fluid is cleaned,
mixed with fresh water; fer-
tilizer added, and then fed
to roses in the greenhouses
through drip pipes.
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4. One of the several fertigation fluid collection and
recycle tank that we have at the end of each green-
house block. In these tanks we collect fertigation
fluid for recycling and reusing.
Magana Farm Ecological
Agroindustry Applications˜™
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Therefore, we do not pollute
the soil. We do not pollute
rivers or streams within our
ecosystem.
These fertigation fluid col-
lection and recycle tanks do
not allow chemicals used for
fertigation to seep into the
soil and eventually into the
underground water or trickle
into the streams.
3. Rainwater
Harvesting: We get wa-
ter from all-over the roofs of
the greenhouses or any other
building in the farm.
We have five reservoirs that
we use to collect rain water.
Then this water is used for
irrigation and fertigation.
Some of our water comes
from Nairobi River. One of
the springs that feeds Nai-
robi River is Kikuyu Springs,
and it is next door to Magana
Flowers Farm.
We rarely use water from Ki-
kuyu Springs; it is only used
as a last resort. Certainly
our water usage method
saves water resources at our
sphere.
Tree planting has now been
extended to the commu-
nity. Every year, Magana
Fairtrade has committed at
least to plant 1000 trees
in three Public Primary
Schools in our community.
Further, here at Magana
Flowers Farm, we take good
care of our land. We observe
strict care in our water, fer-
tilizer and chemical usage.
In fact in our largest water
reservoir we keep fish, an
enough indicator that our
water is clean.
4. Environmental
Care: In Magana we con-
sider our environment very
important and take very
good care about it.
We have planted many trees
in the farm, where spaces
have been left by green-
houses, and where it is not
possible to build more green-
houses we have planted trees
all-over.
These trees provide a natu-
ral habitat to rare species of
birds, probably which could
be endangered in this era
of global warming. Besides,
they protect our water catch-
ment areas.
Magana Flowers IPM
Unit. In this biofactory,
we manufacture
Phytoseiulus and
Amblyseius to combat
Mites in the greenhouses
instead of using
chemicals.
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(d) Malaria
Awareness
Campaign
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Welfare Group is also in-
volved in educating employ-
ees on the importance of
malarial prevention. This
activity in away reinforces
the government of Kenya
plan in fighting Malarial,
other diseases..
In 2005 and 2009; 1350 nets
worth Ksh 319, 120 were
given to Magana Flowers
employees. Pregnant and lac-
tating mothers getting two
nets each in 2009.
Wangig’e Hospital nurses
attending Magana Flowers
employees and community
on one of the Prostate,
Breast, Cervical Cancer
Screening and Family Plan-
ning Support Programme
at Magana Flowers Clinic.
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Welfare Group (MFFWG)
is committed in ensuring
employees of Magana Flow-
ers and their spouses and
children get an education
or skills for their personal
growth; company’s and soci-
etal development.
The welfare organ’s work
also go a long way in
supporting government’s
efforts of providing free
primary education for all
as enshrined in MDG No.2
(achieving universal primary
education for all).
To realize this, Magana
Flowers Fairtrade does the
following:
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Education
(a) Education
Bursaries
(i) Secondary
Education
From 2010, and every other
year Magana Flowers em-
ployees’ children are fund-
ed for secondary education,
from form 1 up to form 4.
2010-2013: 194 children
have been given
Ksh 2.78 m as school fees.
(ii) Post-Secondary
Education
Also from 2010 and every
other year, MFFWG has
committed to financing
Magana Flowers employees,
their spouses and children
for post-secondary courses.
2010-2013: 115 people have
offered Ksh. 3.14 m to study
courses such as Mechani-
cal Engineering, Elec-
trical Engineering, IT,
Accounts, Business Man-
agement, Human Re-
sources Management and
Hotel and Catering.
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A Modern
Classroom
in Ngure
Primary
School built
by Magana
Flowers
Fairtrade Wel-
fare Group.
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Medicare
(e) Eye and
Dental Clinic
Through the welfare organ,
Magana employees enjoy free
eye and dental clinics.
In 2010 and 2011; 848
Magana Flowers employees
and their families were seen
for eye and dental checkups,
with a number benefiting
with further treatment, as
well as eye glasses at a cost
of Ksh 1.21m.
5. Medical
Dentists from PCEA Kikuyu Hospital
giving Magana Flowers employees a
dental checkup in one of the regular
dental clinic in the farm.
Here at Magana Farm, our
employees are our most valu-
able assets. We also very
strongly advocate for ev-
eryone working for us to be
treated with dignity and re-
garded as a mature man and
woman of honour.Besides,
each person in our team, as
well as each member of the
community around us at all
times must be treated
respectfully.
To achieve this, as it is in-
separably tied to our produc-
tivity, we must also ensure
health of our employees and
the community.
It is in this regard that
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Welfare Group aids our
workers and the community
access quality and affordable
Medicare by doing this:
(a) Cancer
Screening,
Family Planning
Support
MFFWG has teamed up
with Magana Flowers Clinic,
Wangig’e Health Centre and
Output
Based Aid
(OBA) to
offer Breast,
Cervical
and Pros-
tate Cancer
screening;
as well as
Family
Planning
support
to our em-
ployees and
community
every year. From 2011-2012,
392 men and women-em-
ployees and community-have
been screened for Prostate,
Breast and Cervical cancer
at a cost of Ksh 108, 400.
Magana Flowers Clinic Nurse: Mrs
Margaret Kahihu, also a Kenya Reg-
istred Community Health Nurse
(KRCHN) giving Magana Flowers em-
ployees and the community a health
talk at Magana Flowers Clinic.
5 cases each for Cervical,
Breast cancer have been
found and refereed to Tigoni
District Hospital and Ke-
nyatta National Hospital.
45 women given free long-
term Family Planning Ser-
vices (IUCDs and Norplant).
(b) Meningitis,
Typhoid
Hep B
Vaccinations
Since 2006 to date (2013),
MFFWG has facilitated vac-
cination of 2163 Magana
Flowers employees, their
spouses and children against
Meningitis, Hepatitis B and
Typhoid.
At the moment this sponsor-
ship is worth Ksh. 2.06 m.
(c) VCT
Community
Outreach
Magana Flowers HIV/AIDS,
Wellness Support Group has
worked with PCEA Kikuyu
Hospital, Population Service
International (PSI) and In-
ternational Finance Corpora-
tion (IFC) to of-
fer VCT services to
Magana Flowers
employees and com-
munity around the
farm’s vicinity.
From 2011-2013, the
welfare organ has
aided the wellness
group with
Ksh 300, 000 to take
VCT support services
to employees and the
community.
Areas already covered in-
clude: Magana Flowers,
Magana Town, Shauri
Yako, Gitaru Market, Kan-
jeru, Kinoo, Uthiru, Bara-
niki and Rungiri.
„…
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Magana Flowers
Certifications
Magana Flowers Kenya Ltd
has official recognitions from
KFC, FPEAK, FLO, MPS,
Sedex, and ETI.
Every now and then these
bodies audit the farm to
ensure quality of our roses,
and that we take care of our
employees, the community
and environment.
Besides we have also been
audited by LEAF and Wait
Rose and are affiliated with
the Commonwealth
Network Kenya.
Throughout these audits
Magana Flowers has been
found as a mainstay of out-
standing farming practices
such as:
1. Use of
Integrated Pest
Management
System: We have a bio
factory where we produce
Phytoseiulus and Ambly-
seius which we use to fight
mites in the greenhouses.
This reduces the amount of
pesticides used. Thus our use
of pesticides is good and safe
for the environment.
2. Recycling Drains
Water from Hydro-
ponics; therefore, in
Magana we conserve water
resources around us.
3. Harvesting Rain Water
from all the greenhouses and
every building in the farm. This
reduces our over reliance on
other natural sources of water
e.g. Underground water and
Kikuyu Springs.
4. Organic Waste
Composting, hence in
Magana Flower Farm we
manage waste in an environ-
mental friendly way. This
way we reduce environmen-
tal pollution.
5. Vermitea-
Composition
Project: This helps us
in Magana Flower Farm to
utilizing flower refuse. This
waste is used to produce
worm juice (vermitea). This
juice is used as fertilizer, it
is organic, thus helps us to
minimize on the amount of
inorganic fertilizers used in
the farm.
The remains that are left af-
ter vermitea is extracted are
used as manure, and now we
are putting mechanisms in
place to make bio-fertilizer
from them.
6. Corporate
Social
Responsibility:
Through our welfare organ,
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Welfare Group, Magana
Farm has a strong sense of
corporate social responsi-
bility-CSR. Via this welfare
organ, Magana Flowers
takes respectable care of its
employees, the community,
customers and the environment.
Our adhering to the use of excellent farming
practices made us in 2011 to be awarded by
Omniflora in Germany through their
chemical watchdog agency, Coopenic, the best
flower farm in Kenya that has the lowest
levels of chemical residue traces in its roses.
Magana
Flowers
Fairtrade
We are associated with
Fairtrade. We like it. Our
workers like it too. This affil-
iation has proven to be use-
ful to our employees and the
community. This is because
flowers sold under Fairtrade
auspices fetch an extra earn-
ing what in Fairtrade mar-
kets is called premiums.
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Welfare Group earns premi-
ums through Magana
Flowers. The premiums are
managed by Magana Flowers
Fairtrade Joint Board Com-
mittee, which does projects
that improve livelihoods of
our employees, the commu-
nity as well as taking care of
the environment.
A study entitled “Multi-
Dimensional Impacts of a
Rural Industrial Park: The
Case of Magana Town, Ki-
ambu County”, conceived by
Dr. Magana Njoroge Mungai,
and done by Kenyatta Uni-
versity says that Fairtrade
compliance by Magana
Flowers has led to workers
empowerment.
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7. Magana Flowers
F a i r t r a d e
Employees’ Livelihood
Alleviation and Welfare
Magana Flowers Trade Welfare Group Unga Mill.
It’s important to note heretofore, the welfare organ
was known as Magana Flowers Max Havelaar
Welfare Group (MFMWG), the organ now has
changed its name to Magana Flowers Fairtrade.
Objects:
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Welfare Group functions
as a welfare organ between
Magana employees, the com-
pany itself, community and
foreign investors.
This ensures that premiums
earned from Fairtrade pric-
ing are utilized in projects
that not only improve em-
ployees’ livelihood, but also
the living of the community
and taking care of the envi-
ronment.
In pursuance to the above
objects Magana Flowers
Fairtrade Joint Board has
implemented the following
social and economic
programmes.
All these projects are done
for free. No charges to
workers or the
community.
Implemented Projects
(a) Employee Land
Acquisition
The welfare group obtains
land on behalf of employees
and they meet the cost at
very friendly end-month-
payroll deductions.
In fulfillment of this,
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
in 2010 bought a 10 acre
piece of land in Mai Mahiu
at a cost of Ksh 3.38m.
To date, this piece of land
has been fully subdivided to
41 employees into ¼ and 1
/8
pieces.
(b) Magana
Flowers
Fairtrade Unga
Mill and
Cereals Store
In Muthiga village, near
Magana Flowers, Magana
Flowers Fairtrade bought a
¼ acre piece of land. Begin-
ning 2011 construction of an
Unga Mill started.
In November 2012, after the
welfare group finalized ev-
erything in this mill at a cost
of about Ksh 10m, the mill
was opened.
Magana Flowers Fairtrade
Unga mill serves the com-
munity and Magana Flowers
employees by selling maize
flour and cereals to them at
subsidized prices.
Magana Flowers employees
also get flour on credit, and
then the money is deducted
from thier payslips at the
end of the month.
This facility allows each
employee to take a minimum
of 5 Kgs and a maximum of
10 Kgs of maize flour every
month, thus assuring
employees food security.
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MFFWG, Supportable Growth
of Employees, Community
Magana Flowers Fairtrade Welfare Group (MFFWG) has
done a lot in implementing Fairtrade International mandate
in Magana Flowers. This implementation has affected the
employees, the company itself and the community.
This work involves Economic, Social Development which
subsists with environmental maintenance, protection and
improvement. It is geared towards fostering and supporting
sustainable development: in Magana Farm, of its Employees’
and the Community.
In this interview, Mrs. Catherine Wanjiku; the Project
Administrator Magana Flowers Fairtrade talks to David
Kimani about MFFWG work.
1. What is Magana
Flowers Fairtrade Wel-
fare Group (MFFWG)?
A society that has an objec-
tive of improving socio-eco
nomic wellness of Magana
Flowers employees and com-
munity, at the same time
ensuring environmental care.
2. How is the society
organized?
We have Magana Flowers
Fairtrade Welfare Group
(MFFWG) because Magana
Flowers is Fairtrade Interna-
tional (FLO) certified. This
society is also registered by
the Ministry of Sports, Cul-
ture and Arts.
FLO mission in Magana
Flowers is effected by the
Management and MFFWG.
The mandate of catering for
employees, community wel-
fare, as well as green care is
bestowed on Magana Flowers
Fairtrade Welfare Group Joint
Board Committee.
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Refectory: Magana Flowers
is in the process of entering
into a contract with an entre-
preneur to establish a cafete-
ria in our social hall.
The company is providing
the canteen premises (with a
semi-permanent kitchen),
Magana Flowers
Fairtrade Welfare
Group Shop: Also in
the social hall, Magana
Fairtrade is setting-up a
shop.
This shop will be selling
household items to the
employees and community.
Employees will have a
credit facility where they
will be allowed to take
items up to a set restricted
amount in a month.
Then the credit will be
deducted from their pay
slips.
tables, chairs, clean water
and electricity (for lighting
only) to the businessperson
free of charge.
In turn the entrepreneur will
sell quality food to our em-
ployees and the community
at subsidized prices.
Working Environment Within Magana Flowers Farm
The semi-permanent kitchens
being provided free of charge to
a businessperson who will set-up
a cafeteria at Magana Flowers
Social Hall.
The premise in Magana
Flowers Social Hall, where
MFFWG wants to start a shop.
9. !
#
$
%
Selling
Magana
High-Quality,
Exquisite Roses
Magana Flowers grows 46
varieties of high quality
roses. These exquisite flow-
ers are grown taking respect-
able care of our employees,
the community and envi-
ronment. These three must
coexist with each other for
sustainable development.
In trying always to satisfy
our customers by constantly
taking care of their changing
times and tastes, we have
trial greenhouses.
In these hothouses we try
new varieties. These are
then sent to our existing as
well as potential customers
for pilot marketing. We es-
tablish and start growing va-
rieties recommended by the
customers as most attractive
to the market. This method-
ology, among other market-
ing practices has made our
varieties increase from 26 to
46 in a span of less than 2
years.
Magana Flowers, Icebreaker variety dis-
played during the June 5-7th
, 2013: Inter-
national Flower Trade Expo (I.F.T.EX) at
Oshwal Centre, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya.
Magana Flowers:
A One. In the last Years
Expo, this variety together
with Icebreaker won
Silver Medal, placing
Magana Flowers as the 3rd
best rose flowers grower.
We give our customers what
they want. In serving our
customers we ensure that
they receive quality prod-
ucts and services. Ours is
customer centricity, where
customers’ dynamic tastes,
preferences and changing
times are met with the high-
est quality flowers.
Quality, we cannot achieve
without looking at the well-
ness of our employees.
We take care of our em-
ployees’ welfare; cultivate a
culture of quality manage-
ment principles where our
employees feel valued and
important part of a team.
This way, our employees are
motivated and dedicated,
such that when we communi-
cate our mission to them we
get quality results.
We are honest at our work, our
thoughts and plans are trans-
formed into tangible things
and achievements that we are
proud of. Thus, there is conti-
nuity between our thoughts and
action.
Our commitment to quality has
given us FLO, MPS, ETI, KFC,
FPEAK, Sedex and Global
GAPP certifications.
We market our flowers through
exhibitions (in various locales,
and have won awards for best
grower in these international
flower exhibitions), website,
email marketing (to targeted
customers) and testimonies of
our customers.
Selling is done 100% through
direct marketing and fixed
contract pricing.Our markets
are in UK, France, Germany,
Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria,
Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Ja-
pan, Korea, Middle East, USA,
Egypt and South Africa.
Germany, Russia and Australia
are our largest markets, taking
about 70% share of our
production.
Our marketing
strategy is pegged
on the principles of
Quality, Commit-
ment and Commu-
nication.
We deliver to our
customers
their orders
as specified
by them.
Magana Flowers Employees’ Empowerment, Sustainable Development
Also, we give our employees
protective clothing based on
the nature of their work.
Besides, we support FLO
among other certifications
bodies stipulated safety mea-
sures and see to it that they
are strictly implemented.
Our employees are informed
about their rights, we instill
in them values to respect
other people, as much as
they themselves would want
to be respected.
We take our employees for
various courses and training
to keep them abreast with
the industry. We have even
given them Kaizen training
to keep on improving their
ways of doing things in more
effective, organized ways.
Further, our values as con-
ceived and consistently com-
municated by our Chairman,
CEO: Dr. Magana Njoroge
Mungai try to improve char-
acters of our employees, thus
creating a good working envi-
ronment.
11. How do you socially
and economically empow-
er employees of Magana
Flowers?
Socially, we endavour to ensure
our workers are healthy and
empowered with education and
other social skills to integrate
well with the community, and
promote progress.
Our trainings such as capacity
building, we trust have been dif-
fused to the community by our
employees joining chamas. This
welfare groups are concerned with
safeguarding the welfare of the
people through business trainings,
savings and borrowing to finance
businesses.
Apart from the above, we
facilitate skilled trainings,
health and poverty alleviat-
ing projects for our commu-
nity and employees.
60% of our community gets
water for domestic, agricul-
tural and commercial use
from piped sources (Mu-
genda, et el, 2008). Without
access to water vital activi-
ties are hampered. Also tied
to water access is the ability
to get clean, safe drinkable
water. According to WHO: 1
person in 6 has no access to
safe water. Thus people are
prone to many water borne
diseases. Treatment of these
diseases consumes resources
that could be channeled to
development programmes.
Besides, exhausting and
weakening manpower.
To surmount such challenge
in our community, MFFWG
has financed supply of clean,
safe drinking and usable
piped water to residents of
Shauri Yako.
10. How has MFFWG
improved working condi-
tions of Magana Flowers
employees? Safety of our
employees at their work sta-
tions is key priority in our
operations here at Magana
Flowers.
Our company has an Occupa-
tion and Safety Policy which
it adheres to. Our employees
are also educated and trained
on safety issues. We use IPM
and Vermitea (an organic fertil-
izer), thus reducing the amount
of chemical exposure in our
farm.
Economically, we have given
and continue to give our
employees asset boosts, offer
them interest rate friendly
loans to pursue further
education, pay fees for their
children, start or improve
their small scale businesses
among other uses.
Since our employees live in
the community within our
vicinity, they spend their
money within our commu-
nity, thus contributing to
growth of businesses, cur-
rency velocity in Magana
Town. And, this has led to
increased welfare for the
people.
12. What do the workers
and the communities say
about this?
They appreciate our work
so much, and most of them
want to be associated with
us, and have forwarded
many proposals to us. We
hope and aspire to do more
for our people.
13. In your view are these
developments sustainable?
Our employees and the
community through our various
projects have been given the
knowledge to pursue economic
and social goals, at the same
time protecting the environ-
ment, I also trust that they
excercise maintainable
consumption.
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“Since its inception in
2004, MFFWG has spent
over 46m alleviating
livelihoods of employ-
ees and community, as
well as taking care of
the environment”.
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Magana also makes its own
organic fertilizer (Vermitea)
from flower refuse to supple-
ment inorganic fertilizers.
On a daily basis the farm
uses 40% of Vermitea.
However, in some instances
poor waste management was
observed.
There lacked adequate sepa-
ration of wastes generated
by some industries. Proper
waste separation, discrimi-
nate dumping and burn-
ing, the study recommends
should be encouraged.
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From the study, the notion of
Corporate Social Responsi-
bility (CSR) is either misun-
derstood or treated at arm’s
length all together.
Only Magana Flowers had
an elaborate CSR policy.
All other companies had an
ambiguous cognizance of
CSR, with scanty evidence of
charitable activities.
The study roots for compa-
nies to adopt CSR, as there
is evidence that it empowers
employees and business are
able to make profits at the
same time contributing to
the well-being of the com-
munities, thus fostering and
promoting sustainable
development.
State-of-the-art, massive greenhouses in Magana
Flowers, fitted with pipes to collect rainwater.
Magana Flowers
Clinic’s incinerator.
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The study established mini-
mal environmental effects
of the industrial practices in
the area under study.
66% of the respondents af-
firmed that despite of the
parks operations aspects
such as air, water and soil
quality; trees and vegetation
cover; environmental cleanli-
ness; solid waste; water use,
sharing and drainage; public
health and sanitation; oc-
cupation health and safety;
livestock and crops; and
visual landscape have not
changed.
Only 12% thought that the
above environmental aspects
have been negatively af-
fected.
Good environmental prac-
tices were registered in the
Magana Industrial Park-
MIP. It was noted that com-
panies in the park adhered
to statutory environmental
audit of NEMA.
To some degree, compliance
with environmental acts
such as EMCA- Environ-
mental Management and
Co-ordination Act (1999),
OSHA-Occupational Safe-
ty and Health Act (2007)
and Health Act was noted.
Magana Flowers was found
to have an established en-
vironmental policy which it
adheres to.
Magana Industrial
Park has minimal
negative effects in
the area targeted by
the study.
Magana Flowers and Solo
Plants Kenya Ltd use hydro-
phonics as the medium for
growing their plants. Thus,
they are able to recycle
irrigation water and any
other substance fed to the
plants saving water and en-
vironment from pollution.
Magana Flowers also uses
Integrated Pest Manage-
ment (IPM) System. The
farm has established a bio
factory where it produces
Phytoseiulus and Ambly-
seius which are used to fight
mites in greenhouses instead
of using chemical sprays.
1. An aerial over
view of some
greenhouses in
Magana Flowers
Farm.
2. Left: Pumice-a
hydroponic medium
on which we grow
our roses.
3. Right: A biofac-
tory under French
Beans for making
Phytoseiulus and
Amblyseius.
4. A donkey taking
rose flowers to the
grading hall.
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Rural Industrial Parks:
A Must Adopt Innovation
for the 47 Counties
Rural industrial parks have a great
capacity to improve livelihoods of the
rural-folks, at the same time
urbanize rural areas.
Dr. Magana Njoroge Mungai receiving the research
report on benefits of Rural Industrial Parks from
Prof Olive M. Mugenda.
Embu and Nakuru counties
have shown their willingness
to establish industrial parks
to foster development at their
grassroots. Embu County has
found a land next to Embu ASK
grounds, but Nakuru people
want to have their park in
Naivasha because it is nearer
to Nairobi.
The insight of having industrial
parks is very vital for county
development, but Nakuru try-
ing to retain close ties with Nai-
robi will not serve the people
better as opposed to a scenario
where the park could have been
established deep into the heart
of Nakuru County.
A study “Multi-Dimensional
Impacts of a Rural Industrial
Park: The Case of Magana
Town Kiambu County”, affirms
that rural industrial parks have
a great capacity to improve
livelihoods of the rural-folks, at
the same time urbanize rural
areas. This is because just like
the county governments, rural
industrial parks are too close to
the people at the grassroots.
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12. Industrial Parks: The Main Drivers of Rural Economies
Establishment of industrial
parks empower people by
increasing their incomes
through creating jobs and
fostering business growth;
they also lead to urbaniza-
tion, thus provision of social
amenities to communities,
among other increased wel-
fare that communities can
draw from the parks. All
these have a common conver-
gence on improving quality
of life.
The need to s do this study
was initiated by the CEOs of
Magana Holdings Ltd (MHL)
and Kenyatta University
(KU): Dr. Magana Njoroge
Mungai, and Prof. Olive M.
Mugenda in that order. KU
provided the capacity and
funds to do this research
through the grant of the Of-
fice of the Vice-Chancellor,
while MHL took care of all
the logistics.
92% of the respondents
noted that Magana
Town had grown as a
result of Magana
Industrial Park (MIP).
Yatin Nagda,
Director Crystal
Industries Ltd
during the release of the
research report at Kenyatta
University.
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The study encourages
counties to adopt and
replicate industrial park
model of the Magana
Industrial Park (MIP) for
socio-economic growth in
the countryside areas that
subsists with environmental
care.
Dr. Lucy Maina, Research Coordinator of the study
presenting the research findings.
This report coincides with
the UN-HABITAT call for
creation of more towns to
foster development. One way
to urbanize as demonstrated
by this report is by creating
industrial parks in the rural
areas.
92% of the respondents noted
Magana Town had grown as
a result of Magana Indus-
trial Park (MIP).
They observed that public
transport between the MIP
and Nairobi CBD has been
hastened and enabled more
by the establishment of
matatu terminus route 30 in
Magana Town. Previously,
people had to use the termi-
nuses at Kinoo or Gitaru.
Availability of social ameni-
ties: a Medical Clinic, Equity
Bank, Provincial Adminis-
tration Offices, among others
was cited as evidence that
Magana Town had grown
and was growing from the
activities of the MIP.
This trend has changed the
economic activities of the
populace in the locale under
study. Land is no longer used
intensively for agriculture,
but for housing development
to provide shelter to the in-
creasing number of employ-
ees who have migrated from
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95% of the respondents
reported at least to
have a primary or
higher
education.
to the residents and com-
munity; thus, the conclusion
that industrial parks have
a great potential to improve
quality of lives.
51% of the survey respon-
dents agree that Magana
Industrial Park-MIP-has
improved lives of the commu-
nity within the park.
There is tangible proof of im-
proved access to health care
and safe, clean drinkable
and usable water.
Security within MIP has
been enhanced by establish-
ment of an AP station.
Respondents also said that
the MIP has impacted on
education access, electricity
supply, food security, health
and roads in the locale.
Rating on the effects on road
network was low. On a scale
of 1-10, out of 902 subjects,
impact of Magana Industrial
Some of the research team members who worked on the
study on the impacts of rural industrial parks in Kenya
through Magana Industrial Park and their roles. From
left: Dr. Samuel M. Mwangi (Researcher); Prof. Olive M.
Mugenda (Research Advisor); Dr. Magana Njoroge Mungai
(Conceiver); Dr. Lucy W. Maina (Research Coordinator); and
Alan I.C. Kirui (Researcher).
Park on roads scored a mean
of 2.59, the lowest score. It
was followed by health with
a score of 3.14.
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95% of the respondents
reported at least to have a
primary or higher education.
Only 3.5% had no education.
The number of educated men
was slightly higher than that
of women; also more men
had attained higher educa-
tion than women.
It is evident that education
levels of people in the Maga-
na Industrial Park (MIP)
are higher than the national
literacy levels, which are at
87%.
63% of the population is in
employment. 25% employed,
38% self-employed. However,
a sizable number, 36.81% of
the subjects are unemployed.
40% of employees in MIP
have migrated from other
counties to work in the
park. This was shown
to foster national unity
through multiculturalism,
tolerance and social cohe-
sion.
The respondents also re-
ported to have become more
appreciative and tolerant
with people from differ-
ent ethnics. 71% of the
respondents reported that
cultural diversity has re-
duced conflict among com-
munity members. Even at
the height of PEV of 2007
that killed and displaced
Kenyans, Magana Town
with its rainbow of cultures
remained peaceful.
Ways in which people in-
teract have changed, 63 %
affirmed. Though people had
little time for interactions,
they still cared for one an-
other, they said.
However, some antisocial
behaviours like excessive
drinking and drug abuse were
reported in the neighbourhoods
of the Magana Industrial Park,
as well as rising rate of crimes.
In general, the well-being of
Magana Town residents, and
that of adjacent communities
has improved.
Nonetheless, a complete under-
standing of the social impact of
the rural industry model was
not achieved based on the peri-
urban nature of the Magana
Industrial Park.
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Devolution and industrial
parks are tied inexorably.
Article 174 of the 2010 Ke-
nya constitution in outlining
the objects of the devolved
system of government under-
scores this relationship.
Devolved government is
supposed to: foster national
unity by recognizing di-
versity; give powers of self-
governance to the people and
enhance the participation of
the people in the exercise of
the powers of the State and
in making decisions affecting
them; recognize the right of
communities to manage their
own affairs and to further
their development; protect
and promote the interests
and rights of minorities and
marginalized communities;
promote social and economic
development and the provi-
sion of proximate, easily
accessible services through-
out Kenya; and facilitate
the decentralization of State
organs, their functions and
services, from the capital of
Kenya.
This is hoped to remedy pre-
vious imbalances of develop-
ment caused by centralized
system of government. By
decentralizing resources to
ensure fair-balanced devel-
opment and fostering public
participation in the initiation
and implementation of de-
velopmental agendas, people
will be empowered to decide
where to allocate resources
according to their needs,
addressing issues that are
more pressing to them.
However, looking at the
budgets passed by many
county governments for the
year-2013/14, there is a lot of
clutter and wastages in the
budgets that must be purged
to make county governments
operations sustainable.
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Some areas are developed,
while others are called re-
mote, as they have remained
undeveloped for a longtime.
Due to these disparities in
development people in these
underdeveloped areas are
resented and feel as if they
are not part of Kenya.
Even though developed,
many urban areas like Nai-
robi and other major cities
and towns bear the brunt of
the askew development such
as mega slums.
Slums result from poor
planning of urban areas
and overpopulation, mostly
by people with no effective
means of production to earn
a living and afford the least
quality basic needs.
The overcrowding comes up
as people leave rural areas
in droves in such of jobs in
towns. Jobs are hard to find
these days and people fierce-
ly compete for the little there
is, those who cannot find jobs
end up in slums.
Slums, according to Home-
less International, a UK
charity devoted to support-
ing slum dwellers to improve
their lives and find lasting
solutions to urban poverty,
creates problems such as:
gender inequality; children
denial of quality education;
crimes and juvenile delin-
quencies; hazardous condi
tions in slums lead to spread
of lethal diseases such as
Malaria, Cholera, Typhoid,
diarrhoea, also HIV/AIDS
prevalence in slums like
Kibera is very high; people
lead poor livelihoods as a
result of socio-economic
exclusion; sometimes social
segregation and lack of inte-
gration and cohesion upshots
ethnic violence and when
disasters strike slums are
worst hit.
Think of the Sinai fire trag-
edy of September, 2011 that
was caused by an explosion
of flowing spilt petroleum
products from KPC into the
storm water drain leading
to the Mukuru Slums-Sinai
area.
So as much as industrial
parks will be creating towns,
early planning and super-
vised development by the
government, and govern-
ment provision of incentives
and supportive infrastruc-
ture to encourage rural
industrialization, as land
and other factors of produc-
tion are cheaper and read-
ily available in the rural is
called for by the report to
achieve sustainable urban
growth and avoid problems
such as above.
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The government alone can-
not be able to fund all the
counties activities. There-
fore, it is upon the county
governments to initiate ways
to get more funds. One way
to do this; the study’s find-
ings observe is by encourag-
ing Public-Private Partner-
ships (PPPs).
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With a good PPP frame-
work, counties will be
able to meet the de-
mands for quality so-
cial services from their
residents.
Counties must create con-
ducive environments for
investors-local or foreign-to
thrive. Provision of support-
ive policy and legal environ-
ment; placing clearly PPP
initiative within the reform
agenda; establishing a PPP
Secretariat at the treasury
as well as PPP Nodes in
contracting authorities;
adaption and localization of
international successful PPP
models; and preparation of
bankable PPP transaction
are the core of Kenya’s PPP
Frame work, which the 47
counties must adopt.
With this in place counties
will be able to meet demands
for quality and affordable
services such as water and
sewerage, transport (roads,
railroads, airstrips or air-
ports) telecommunications,
electricity and other social
services from their people.
Most significantly, counties
will be able to benefit from
using efficiencies of private
sector in running their public
services.
Magana Town has grown out
of a private initiative. The
locale hosts 13 private owned
companies. Magana Flow-
ers Farm, according to the
growth pole theory, one of
the concepts that guided this
study can be said to be the
point at which the growth
of Magana Industrial Park
started. The town has also
key social services.
In it interaction with the lo-
cal people, Magana Industri-
al Park has in one way or the
other, affected lives within
the park and the surround-
ing community.
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The overall goal of this study
was to unravel the dynamics
of a changing community due
to the presence of Magana
Industrial Park. This was to
be achieved by establishing
the extent social, economic
and environment changes
have occurred, and which
could be directly or indirectly
linked to the presence of the
park.
Specific objectives of the
study were (a) to assess im-
pacts of the industrial park
on socio-economic aspects, (b)
explore growth of businesses
and employment opportuni-
ties in the community, (c)
examine the parks impact
on the biophysical environ-
ment, (d) find out impacts of
the park on the quality of life
and (e) evaluate the extent
CSR practices are adopted by
enterprises in the park.
1002 residents of 10 vil-
lages close to the park
were studied. 100 of
them being the control
group.
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The study employed a quasi-
experiment, explorative and
descriptive research design,
targeting 9 villages (Kinoo,
Muthiga, Kihumo,
Gichecheni, Shauri Yako,
Gaitumbi, Magana Town,
Rungiri, Gitaru) close to the
park.
902 subjects were studied,
and another 100 at Uthiru
used as a control group. Key
Informant Interviews and
Focus Group Discussions
were held with the company
workers, government offi-
cials and other community
stakeholders. Observation
Checklists, NEMA Audits,
as well as studying of 5
companies profile out of the
11 were also used to obtain
data.
The following findings were
established:
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The study established that
Magana Industrial Park
(MIP) has emerged as the
main source of employment
in the area. The park has
been creating opportunities
for the local people since
inception.
Currently, the MIP employs
about 4000-5000 people. This
workforce the study indicates
is drawn from 37 counties,
Kiambu and other regions of
Central Kenya, contributing
60% of the labour-force.
Women are the main source
of labour in the park. 60% of
the employees are women,
28.2% youths and 11.4%
men. Distribution of house-
hold incomes show that at
the lower levels, females con-
stituted a greater proportion
than males (below Ksh. 10, 000).
As income levels increase,
the trend is reversed. This
perhaps can be attributed to
the differences of the levels
of education between men
and women.
60% of the labour force
in the MIP is women.
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