Sisal Decorticator

Long description

About 3 million people living in Nairobi slums are ever at the risk of contracting diseases associated with plastic waste usually dumped in the areas. These areas are characterized with fowl smell and thick smokes from burning waste.

In effort to reduce the impact of plastic waste, Kenya passed into law the ban of use of plastic bags in 2017 as a consequence of the damage caused to the environment.

There has been a continuous sensitization on the use of bags made of sisal fibres by the government.

To support the move, we have developed a machine, essentially targeting the sisal sub sector farmers who are over 30,000 ( and 150,000 potential farmers) in Kenya.

About 70%, they do not have efficient means of extracting fiber from the sisal leaves which has resulted into farmers shying away from the industry as the traditional means employed have been labour intensive and unsafe.

The sisal decorticator machine provides an efficient and reliable means of fibre extraction with the aim of boosting sisal fibre production in the country (aligned with the Big 4 agenda-Manufacturing).

Increased sisal fibre production will foster the basket (bags) weaving industry. This will gradually replace the use of plastic bags, significantly reducing the tonnes and tonnes of plastics damped in the slums of Nairobi hence eradicate hygienic disease and pollution to the environment.

Besides eradication of plastic bag waste, the project will create jobs in the ‘Jua kali’ and weaving industries for the unemployed (61% youth population).

Additional Images