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Mercy Mugao, a young entrepreneur from Kitui, has defied expectations by turning a traditional craft into a thriving global business.
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After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Economics from Karatina University, Mugao cast aside the conventional career path to pursue her passion for weaving palm leaf baskets—a skill she learned from her mother and neighbors in her hometown of Tharaka ward, Mwingi North Sub-county.
Six years after her university graduation in 2019, Mugao’s basket weaving enterprise has not only made waves in Kitui and across Kenya but also attracted international customers through online marketing.
“My journey into the basket weaving business started after I spent countless months searching for a white-collar job without success,” Mugao said. “I returned home, embraced the craft, and started turning palm leaves into beautiful baskets.”
Mugao’s decision to launch her business has proven to be a game-changer. During a presentation at the recent Kitui County Investors Sensitization Forum, Mugao shared how she has managed to build a successful business by leveraging the skills she inherited from her mother, as well as her academic background.
The event, held on March 13 and 14 at the Kanyonyoo County Aggregation and Industrial Park, was organized by the Kitui County Department of Trade and Industry. It brought together over 3,500 businesspeople and investors from across the region. The forum’s theme, “Unlocking Kitui’s Investment Potential for Investors,” highlighted untapped opportunities in the county’s six economic zones.
Rose Mutuku, CEC for Trade and Industry, explained that the forum aimed to showcase the wealth of resources and investment opportunities available in Kitui. “The goal is to sensitize investors and MSMEs on the county’s investment potential,” she said during a media briefing.
Mugao, who now coordinates the Ndara Basket Weavers group, described how she blended traditional skills with modern marketing strategies. “While I’ve been weaving since childhood, after university, I applied my academic knowledge to elevate the quality of my baskets,” she explained.
Instead of relying on traditional methods of marketing her products by carrying them door-to-door, Mugao turned to digital platforms. She began by posting photos of three baskets on her Facebook page. To her surprise, a customer quickly showed interest, purchasing the baskets for Sh600 each. “That first sale opened doors for me,” Mugao said. “Since then, my business has grown exponentially.”
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Mugao operates her business from home and has expanded her client base globally, with customers from Kenya, East Africa, and even Europe. As demand for her baskets skyrocketed, she partnered with other local weavers to meet the growing orders. “At one point, I was receiving up to 300 orders per day,” Mugao noted. “I had to form the Ndara Basket Weavers group, which now has 101 women and two men who help with production.”
To handle the influx of orders, Mugao also turned to social media. The group has built a significant online presence, with 12,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. “Social media is a powerful tool for marketing our products,” she said. “It’s an invaluable platform to reach a wider audience.”
Mugao urged fellow Kitui residents involved in handcrafts to embrace digital marketing. “This is the digital age,” she said. “You no longer need to walk around in the hot sun hawking your products. Online marketing allows you to reach customers who know exactly what they want, and they are willing to pay the right price.”
Mugao’s success story is an inspiring example of how traditional skills, combined with modern marketing techniques, can create a profitable business with a global reach.
