Deborah Makena

Pioneering Kenyan social entrepreneur revolutionizing sustainable agriculture through digital innovation

Deborah Makena (born 1975) is a Kenyan social entrepreneur and founder of M-Farm, a groundbreaking mobile platform connecting smallholder farmers to real-time market information. Her work has transformed agricultural practices across East Africa by leveraging SMS technology to provide pricing data, weather forecasts, and farming tips. Growing up in a rural farming community, Makena witnessed firsthand how lack of market access kept farmers trapped in poverty. After studying computer science at the University of Nairobi, she combined her technical skills with agricultural knowledge to create this life-changing service.

Launched in 2012, M-Farm now serves over 1 million farmers across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The platform's innovations include a price comparison engine that aggregates data from 500+ markets, enabling farmers to sell their produce at fair prices. Makena's work has been recognized by the World Economic Forum, which named her a Young Global Leader in 2018. Her TED Talk 'How I helped Kenyan farmers fight poverty with a cellphone' has over 1.2 million views. Makena continues to advocate for digital inclusion in agriculture through her nonprofit FarmHub Africa, which provides training in tech-driven farming practices.