BY ANGELA R. KIURA
What began as a desperate attempt to survive the COVID-19 pandemic has today transformed into a flourishing agribusiness — proving that even the smallest ventures can change lives.
In the quiet village of Gacagori, Ruguru Ngandori Ward, Embu County, 58-year-old Felista Gaturi Muriuki has redefined rabbit farming.
Once dismissed as a pastime for youth, it is now her family’s main source of income and a beacon of hope for other farmers.
The year 2020 brought hardship for many; Lockdowns shuttered businesses, disrupted farming, and left families without income-thanks to COVID-19 pandemic.
“I first learned about rabbit urine as an organic fertilizer on Kimuri Radio. When lockdown hit us hard and money ran out, I realized rabbit keeping was the most practical option,” she recalls.
Armed with just Sh1,000 from a government cash transfer, she bought two rabbits — a Californian-New Zealand cross doe and buck. Her goal was simple: grow her herd and sell rabbit urine.
Four years later, Gaturi’s modest start has blossomed. Her 22 rabbits not only supply steady income but have also earned her over Sh200,000 from urine sales alone.
According to her, each rabbit produces 2.5 to 3 liters of urine weekly, collected in containers placed under their raised hutches.
Farmers in Embu, Kiambu, and beyond now buy the golden liquid at Sh200 per liter earning her a cool Sh13, 200 per week from the urine only.
“Rabbit urine is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which boost plant growth, and it also acts as a natural pesticide,” she explains.
Her customers, growing Muguka, tea, maize, coffee, macadamia, and bananas, swear by its results.
With this income, Ms Gaturi who works alone in her farm has been able to undertake several other projects including paying her child’s college fees, and even launched a soap-making business.
Through the proceeds of rabbit rearing, the outspoken woman recalls clearing a Sh70, 000 loan in less than six months.
No longer just a farmer, she has become a trainer. At the 2025 Manyatta Stakeholders Forum in Kairuri Stadium recently, she sold rabbits worth Sh6,000 and demonstrated how to use urine as both fertilizer and pesticide.
Her simple recipe is widely shared: one liter of urine mixed with five liters of water as a foliar fertilizer, or one part urine to two parts water as a pesticide. “I want farmers to see this as a business, not a hobby,” she says.
Still, her journey has not been without struggles. Diseases like coccidiosis remain a threat, with vaccinations costing at least Sh100 per rabbit annually.
Housing also requires investment. A hutch for 15 rabbits costs around Sh5,000, and must be raised, ventilated, and fitted with mesh flooring to keep the space dry and ease urine collection.
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“Cleanliness is everything. Disinfect regularly, clean feeders daily, and never feed rabbits wet forage or kitchen waste — they can kill them,” she advises.
Her own rabbits thrive on a diet of sweet potato vines, pumpkin leaves, pigweed, blackjack, nightshade, dandelion leaves, maize cobs, fruits, and plenty of clean water.
Ms Gaturi believes rabbits are ideal for elderly farmers. They require little space, mature quickly, and are inexpensive to rear.
Beyond urine, their droppings enrich soils, while their meat — lean, white, and increasingly popular — presents another market.
The farmer now plans to introduce giant rabbit breeds, each costing over Sh3,000, to boost both meat and urine production.
“My dream is to expand and supply rabbit meat to hotels,” she says with conviction.
From a humble start with just two rabbits, Ms Gaturi stands as an example of resilience and creativity. Her story is proof that even in crisis, opportunity can emerge.
“If I began with Sh1,000 in the middle of a pandemic, anyone can start. It’s time for older farmers to see rabbit farming as a source of dignity and income,” she says.
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