How Gender Responsive Procurement is Transforming a Small Agribusiness

For many women entrepreneurs in Kenya, breaking into public procurement, accessing regional markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), securing business registration and certification, and unlocking affordable finance remains an uphill climb. Structural barriers from limited collateral to opaque bidding systems, continue to exclude women-led enterprises from lucrative opportunities. 

For Beryl Akoth Odhiambo, founder of Bellyz Organics, learning to navigate these systems has transformed her peanut butter venture from a small kitchen experiment into a growing, compliant enterprise ready to compete in institutional markets.

That turning point came after a training on Gender-Responsive Procurement (GRP) under the UN Women Kenya programme supported by the UAE Strategic Partnership Framework (UAE-SPF). The training equipped women entrepreneurs with practical knowledge on certification standards, procurement compliance, product customization, and how to access tender portals. For Beryl, it was more than a workshop, it was an awakening.

“We were trained on the certifications needed, standards required, and how to tailor-make products for both local and international markets,” she says. “If I had not attended the training, I would not understand what is needed to access procurement opportunities.”

When Beryl started Bellyz Organics in January 2023, she had just three kilograms of peanut butter. Today, she produces up to 100 kilograms a month. The growth, she says, has been slow but steady.”

“I started with three kilos,” she recalls. “Currently we can produce up to 100 kilos a month. Some days we do five kilos, some days 20, it depends on customer flow.”

Her brand targets health-conscious consumers seeking natural, minimally processed products. Bellyz Organics produces plain peanut butter, peanut butter with sesame seeds, peanut butter with pumpkin seeds, and roasted peanuts, all with zero additives. Operating from Nairobi and a production facility at Ruiru Vishnu Industrial Park, she maintains strict quality control, with products standardized and compliant with Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) requirements.

However, building a compliant agribusiness has not been without hurdles. “As a woman entrepreneur, sourcing raw materials is not easy,” Beryl explains. “Most peanut farmers are men. Sometimes you do not get the same opportunities they give to fellow men.”

Initially, she sourced groundnuts from the Republic of Uganda. As the business grew, she shifted to the Republic of Malawi, which offers aflatoxin-free peanuts. However, importing raw materials requires certification and logistics coordination. To overcome this, Beryl collaborates with a network of women entrepreneurs who pool resources to import in bulk.

“We contribute small amounts, source together, and once the shipment arrives, each of us takes our share,” she says. “It is a chain of entrepreneurs who cooperate and support each other.”

Gender bias has also surfaced in more subtle and troubling ways. She recounts instances of transporters delaying deliveries or hiking prices.

“At times you call for your products to be delivered, and someone tells you to wait, or they increase prices because they think your capacity is low,” she says. “You wonder, if it was a man sourcing the same peanuts, would he receive better service?”

Her attempt to access the Sudanese market revealed even deeper vulnerabilities faced by women entrepreneurs. “There was a client who wanted my products in Sudan,” she says. “But the intermediary demanded conditions I was not comfortable with. I chose to walk away, even though it meant losing the business.”

That experience reinforced the importance of compliance and formal certification; lessons she strengthened through GRP training. After joining the programme in August 2025, Beryl opened a procurement account by October 2025 and began applying for tenders.

“Before that, I did not even know I could open such an account,” she says. “Now my products are compliant. I can bid to supply institutions, even big organizations.”

Beyond procurement readiness, the training opened doors to visibility. At the Changamka Festival, an event supported by UN Women, Beryl sold out her entire stock, 250 kilograms of peanut butter.

“I had to restock three times,” she says. “There were many peanut butter sellers, but I sold everything.”

Today, Bellyz Organics generates about Kenya Shillings (KES) 50,000 monthly, sometimes reaching KES 100,000 in peak seasons. The business supports two casual workers and pays her salary. Yet rising electricity costs, expensive glass packaging, and high transport fees continue to squeeze margins.

“Electricity is key for production,” she explains. “Without it, there is no peanut butter. Packaging is expensive. Transporting to places like Mombasa County, can eat into profits, and sometimes I pay delivery costs from my own pocket.”

Access to finance remains another challenge. “When banks ask for collateral, most women do not have land or property in their name,” she says. “That becomes a hindrance.”

Despite these obstacles, Beryl remains resolute. Through the business, she enrolled at Moi University and graduated in December 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Project Planning and Management. She also holds Diplomas in Social Work and Community Development and in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development from the Technical University of Kenya.

“In five years, I do not just want to sell peanut butter,” she says. “I envision a company with bigger machines, where other entrepreneurs can produce in my space. I want Bellyz to be known countrywide and regionally.”

Her advice to other women is simple: start small. “If you have one thousand shillings, start. Do not wait for big money. You can grow from being a “mama mboga” to someone known in the community,” she says. “Stand up for yourself. Learn, grow, and do not look down upon small beginnings.”

Beryl’s journey underscores the broader impact of Gender-Responsive Procurement initiatives under the UAE-SPF programme. By equipping women entrepreneurs with compliance knowledge, procurement access, and market linkages, the programme strengthens women-led enterprises to compete in formal supply chains, including public and UN procurement systems. In doing so, it demonstrates how investing in women’s economic empowerment is not just a social imperative, but a catalyst for inclusive growth, resilience, and sustainable development.