A Germany-based Kenyan woman sparked excitement online after she discovered a fellow Kenyan selling fresh kienyeji produce, including managu, sukuma wiki, spinach and terere, right in the heart of Berlin.
The woman, clearly thrilled by the find, praised Jesse Wafula, popularly known as Uncle Jesse among his customers, for bringing a taste of home to the Kenyan diaspora in Germany.
“Big shout-out to Mjomba Jesse for coming through and solving the problems of the People of Berlin! From fresh Managu, spinach, Terere, Sukuma Wiki, straight from the farm to Berlin!” she wrote, adding that the mangoes she had tasted were among the best she had eaten, describing them as fresh and natural.
She noted that her freezer was fully stocked heading into winter, and was already thinking ahead, hoping that dhania, avocados and other farm produce would be available by the following year.
She also cheekily asked whether a Christmas goat might be on offer.
How Jesse Wafula Built a Kenyan Farm in Berlin
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Wafula explained that his focus is entirely on produce that Kenyans in Germany miss most.
“Am only doing Kenyan veggies and white maize, which you don’t find here in Germany. Most of my customers are in Berlin because am located there. I only ship mangos sweet one ulike za huku,” he said.
The young entrepreneur, originally from Bungoma County, arrived in Germany in 2020 as an intern. Farming was never part of his original plan, but by 2024, he had made the leap.
He credits two key realisations for the shift: the high cost of food in Europe, particularly vegetables, and watching his former employer build considerable wealth.
”I saw my boss make a lot of money where I worked as an intern, and that is another thing that motivated my drive to pursue this career path,” he shared.
How an Anti-Racism Group Helped Him Get Started
Raising capital in a foreign country is no small feat, but Wafula found an unlikely source of support. He joined an anti-racism group in Berlin-Brandenburg, which helped him run a GoFundMe campaign that raised enough money to acquire a farm with solid starting capital.
Despite the challenges that many immigrants face when building a business abroad, Wafula said his experience has been largely positive.
”I have been lucky; so far, I have not experienced any challenges living and working in a foreign land,” he said.
For Berlin’s Kenyan community, Uncle Jesse has quietly become something of a lifeline, bridging the gap between the shamba back home and the dinner table thousands of kilometres away.
