Kenya Gospel artist Guardian Angel is a trendsetter, as witnessed by his successful career in dancehall and afro-rap gospel music. When he is not making hits in the studio, he is on his pig farm, donned in overalls tending to his herd, cleaning up after them and feeding them.
Despite having massive success in the music industry, the singer, Audiphaxad Peter Omwaka, has detailed the challenges throughout his journey, with financial instability topping the list.
In an interview on Citizen TV, while searching for lucrative ways to supplement his income, he stated that he took a friend’s advice to venture into pig farming seeing that it was highly profitable in the Kenyan market. He was inexperienced in the field, only having dabbled in poultry farming in his youth.
Almost one year later, the ‘Nadeka’ hitmaker has experienced exponential growth, moving from one piglet to a herd of 100 pigs.
“Till now, one year down the line, we are at 80 pigs. Of course plus the ones I’ve sold which are more than 20, we’ve had over 100 plus the piglets,” he said when the interview was shot.
According to Guardian Angel, the Kenyan music industry is seasonal and does not guarantee big earnings for many artists, pushing them to venture into other forms of business to fill the gap. This was his motivating factor to venture into agribusiness to support his music career.
“Music is a career, especially in this country, that is not well defined. Hakuna mtu tunaenda kuitisha mshahara yetu. If you get a gig paying Sh. 1 million now and stay for the next 6 months without another, bills are still constant,” he stated.
Pig rearing comes with its challenges, since it is dependent on commercial feeds whose prices have shot up in recent months. When money is tight, he opts to source for cheaper solutions such as leftover food from hotels and vibandas to feed the animals.
Guardian Angel insisted that pig rearing has untapped potential, and for any prospective farmer looking to embark on the journey, open-mindedness is paramount. He urged the youth to stop complaining and start with the little they have.
“Everyone successful in all the businesses that they have did not start big; even the music business, you don’t start as a star.
“Market ni huge. I have people who come here to get them for the few times I have sold my pigs. Market ni kubwa sana, hatuwezi sema utateseka na market,” he urged.
