Kenton Mutethia Muthaura
Kenton Gikunda is a rising Kenyan entrepreneur transforming agricultural waste into sustainable opportunity. After graduating with a degree in Economics from Egerton University, he took an unconventional route and founded Bafiex Products Enterprises in 2021, an enterprise that manually extracts fibre from discarded banana stems to create eco-friendly products such as hair extensions, pillows, and cushions.
What began as a modest innovation has since evolved into a recognised circular economy venture with both social and environmental impact. Bafiex has been nominated for the Startupper of the Year Challenge 2024 by TotalEnergies and earned Kenton a finalist spot in the Forty Under 40 Africa Awards under the manufacturing category. These recognitions speak to his ingenuity and commitment to local empowerment, particularly for rural youth and women who are engaged throughout Bafiex’s production value chain.
Beyond the factory floor, Kenton is also active in community development through his involvement with the Youths for the Boy Child Organization, where he continues to champion inclusive, grassroots-driven change. As Bafiex scales and diversifies its product lines, Kenton remains focused on advancing Kenya’s green manufacturing potential, proving that innovation doesn’t need to be high-tech to be high-impact.