Asaph Mbugua Njuguna, the director and Co-founder of Elegant Ride limited, has built a thriving logistics business, but his journey to success wasn’t always smooth sailing. From humble beginnings in car brokering to complexities of the logistics industry, his story is one of resilience and adaptability, with Amica Sacco playing a pivotal role in his growth.
Elegant Ride limited was established in 2013, originally focusing on car imports. However, like many businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced Asaph to pivot. The logistics sector, which was booming as the world grappled with supply chain disruptions, became his new focus. His journey into logistics began with a single truck purchased from his savings, but he quickly realized that in order to scale, he needed more financial support.
Relationship with Amica Sacco
Mbugua’s relationship with Amica began when he was offered an asset financing product. By leveraging his savings and the logbook of his truck, Amica helped him access funds that helped him to expand his fleet. The ambitious entrepreneur secured more trucks, a crucial step as the demand for logistics services grew in Kenya’s thriving e-commerce sector.
“I’ve been with Amica for over six years, and they’ve been a game-changer,” he says. “They helped me in various ways including purchasing new trucks and keeping my business operational. The flexible terms and lower interest rates made a huge difference in my ability to grow.”
In addition to asset financing, Mbugua also accessed another product (dubbed Stock Boosta) from Amica. The short-term loan product, which requires minimal paperwork and offers low interest rates, provided him with the working capital needed to manage cash flow during peak times. “Stock Boosta is one of the best products for short-term financing,” Mbugua explains. “When you need money to keep the wheels turning, it’s there. The process is quick, and with my non-withdrawable deposits at Amica, I don’t have to deal with a lot of paperwork,” he adds.
This easy access to capital allowed Asaf to focus on growing his business without constantly worrying about liquidity issues.
Being a prudent entrepreneur, Mbugua has insured his business through Amica. “Amica doesn’t just help with financing; they also take care of all my insurance needs,” he says. “Their wide array of financial solutions are all under one roof,” he adds.
As his business grew, so did his need for comprehensive insurance solutions. Amica Sacco provided him with a seamless insurance service covering all his vehicles and facilitating the follow up of claims. The insurance premium financing option in particular was beneficial; with competitive rates keeping his costs manageable.
In the same vein, as Elegant Ride limited expanded, Mbugua needed additional financing to cover the purchase of both new and used vehicles. With Amica’s Business Working Capital product, he was able to bridge the gap, securing the funds needed to buy new trucks while maintaining his operations without compromising on the quality of his services. He notes that this product is especially suitable for businesses like his in that sometimes you may need to pay cash for a truck that doesn’t qualify for financing. Through Amica’s Business Working Capital, he has been able to purchase trucks in cash, hence growing his fleet.
A long term partnership
Mbugua’s long term relationship with Amica Sacco goes beyond just accessing financial products. He credits the Sacco with providing valuable guidance and a sense of community that has been key to his success.
He speaks highly of Amica Sacco, not just as a financier but as a reliable partner in his entrepreneurial journey. “Amica is like a friend to me,” he shares. “They listen to their members, unlike some other financiers. The members of staff are always there to guide me, and they truly understand the challenges I face as an entrepreneur.”
Mbugua adds that the Sacco’s flexible product offering has helped him to navigate the dynamic logistics sector. “The interest rates are competitive and the more you save, the less interest you pay,” Mbugua notes. “Amica is committed to helping entrepreneurs like me succeed, and that is why I recommend them to anyone starting or growing a business.”
A future with Amica
“I never imagined I would own a fleet of ten trucks,” Mbugua reflects. “But thanks to Amica, I have experienced a lot of growth, and I know that with their continued support, I will achieve even more,” he adds.
With a fleet of ten trucks and plans to acquire more, Mbugua’s business is thriving, and his partnership with Amica Sacco continues to be vital in his journey. Looking ahead, he sees even greater opportunities, including the possibility of putting up a fuel station financed by Amica and continuing to work with big clients like Jumia.
Asaph Mbugua’s story is a testament to the impact of partnerships with reliable, customer-focused and friendly financial institutions like Amica Sacco. With the right support, a business can overcome challenges and thrive; just as Elegant Ride Limited has done.
HOW AMICA SACCO IS FUELING EKRA WAITHERA’S AGRIBUSINESS DREAMS
Bold and ambitious farmer rides on a supportive lender to achieve her dreams
Ekra Waithera at her coffee farm in Murang’a County.
Ekra Waithera Maina; an engineer by profession and farmer by passion, is steadily redefining what it means to be a medium scale agricultural entrepreneur. Her journey is rooted in family heritage, shaped by personal grit, and made possible by one key partner: Amica Sacco.
Born into a farming family, Ekra’s roots run deep in agriculture. Despite a childhood aversion to tea farming, which she recalls with humorous defiance, her late mother’s legacy compelled her to embrace the same soil she once resisted. “She cleared a forest and planted my first 8,000 tea bushes,” Ekra recalls. That symbolic act of planting has since bloomed into a thriving agribusiness with over 14,000 tea bushes, 5,000 coffee trees, hundreds of avocado trees, and a dairy farm producing close to 40 litres of milk a day. But this growth story isn’t just about seeds and soil, it’s about access to capital, mentorship, and trust. It’s about Amica Sacco.
Where dreams meet support
Ekra’s first interaction with Amica was modest. She was depositing her Kshs. 4,000 cheque earned from farming coffee. But something about the environment, the welcoming staff at the Kahatia branch and the genuine interest from the branch manager, kept her coming back. “I thought I’d just keep that account for my small tea and coffee proceeds,” she says. “But the relationship quickly evolved,” she adds.
She was introduced to Amica’s loan products tailored to agricultural needs. When she wanted to build her own coffee pulping station, something rare for small-scale farmers, Amica didn’t just listen, they acted. Though her coffee was still young and yields low, the Sacco leveraged her tea proceeds to give her a tea-based loan that financed the facility.
“No one came knocking every month,” she says with gratitude. “Repayment was tied to the tea bonus, and even when the payout was low, we could negotiate,” she adds.
Farming with purpose
Farming was once just a hobby for Ekra, a way to reconnect with her roots. But she now views it as a business to be managed professionally. She works side-by-side with her daughter, a law graduate with a strong interest in agribusiness, treating each farming unit as a department. Each is accountable, each capable of repaying its own loan, and each tied into a broader vision of value addition.
With dairy, the goal is clear: grow the herd, scale production, and eventually launch their own yogurt and cheese brand. “I once saw yogurt being sold at Kshs. 300 per litre in a supermarket,” she says. “I make mine at home for a fraction of the cost. Why not build a small processing plant?”
Amica’s flexibility has also enabled her to navigate personal financial milestones: like sending her daughter abroad for further studies and acquiring a business vehicle. Emergency loans, ‘Stock Boosta’ product, and insurance services through Amica have all played critical roles in supporting her journey.
Empowering others, especially women and youth
Today, Ekra is not just a farmer or an Amica member. She is a delegate, and a passionate brand ambassador. Her motivation to take on the role stemmed from a desire to educate her community on the power of saving and investing in cooperatives. She sees too many people locked in cycles of borrowing and repayment with no long-term growth. “They don’t know that with shares come dividends,” she says. “At the end of the year, you should be earning from your Sacco, not just paying into it,” she adds.
She is particularly focused on women and young people. “In our community, women inherit nothing. Even what you get from your husband is often minimal. But even a small piece of tea bushes, with the right financial partner, can become something huge.”
She encourages youth to start small, save Kshs. 100 a day from their motorbike (bodaboda) earnings, plant an avocado tree, or invest consistently. “You don’t need a huge farm to grow. You need consistency and a partner like Amica who listens and walks with you.”
Ekra dreams of turning her land into a model agribusiness hub—complete with orchard farming, dairy processing, and avocado export. But she is equally committed to taking others with her. She invests thousands every weekend back into her community, paying employees in her farm and mentoring upcoming farmers.
She envisions an Amica-powered generation, one where youth don’t have to struggle in old age, where women own assets, and where Saccos become the foundation for financial empowerment.
Ekra Waithera’s story is living proof that with the right financial partner, the possibilities of succeeding are limitless. Amica Sacco has become more than a financial institution in her life; it is a partner, a coach, and a beginning venture for dreams. “In Amica, I found a financial institution that doesn’t despise small beginnings. They believed in me when I only had bushes and dreams. And now, I have a future that is growing, literally and financially. ”Her journey is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: where there is purpose, passion, and Amica, there is growth.
HOW AMICA SACCO IS TRANSFORMING MUKUNA’S LIFE
By offering a focused tea farmer financial education, tier one Sacco unlocks his potential in entrepreneurship
TWO LEAVES AND A BUD: Paul Mukuna picking tea at his farm in Gatura, Murang’a County.
In the heart of Gatura, nestled near the Ngere Tea Factory lives Paul Mukuna, an industrious tea farmer whose life has seen a remarkable turn around, thanks to the support from Amica Sacco. For years, Mukuna, like many smallholder farmers across the country, toiled in the fields without access to practical financial education or meaningful support from some mainstream financial institutions. But the narrative began to change when he joined Amica Sacco.
Epic transformation
One of the key pillars that elevated Mukuna’s journey was access to financial literacy. Through Amica, he gained critical insights into managing farm income, handling loans responsibly, and investing in his family’s future. This education, often overlooked by some lenders, gave Mukuna and other farmers the tools to make informed financial decisions, something they had lacked over the years.
Mukuna’s family has been a direct beneficiary of this empowerment. With a loan secured through Amica, his family was able to start a shop which now operates alongside their tea farming enterprise. The shop is managed by his wife. Its additional income has significantly improved their household’s financial stability. Once dependent on only one income stream – tea farming – the family has now diversified into retail business.
This new financial footing has also given Mukuna a clearer vision for the future. With structured loan repayment and consistent income from both the shop and the farm, he now looks forward to purchasing another piece of land within the next five years, a goal he once thought was far out of reach.
Amica’s transparency
Beyond financial assistance, what stood out for Mukuna was the personalized services offered by Amica. Unlike his experiences with other financial institutions, where processes are cold and bureaucratic, Amica treated and still treats him with decorum. Discussions with staff are warm and transparent, making him feel not just as a member, but as a partner.
Paul Mukuna’s house under construction and a thriving shop financed by Amica Sacco.
Call to action!
Mukuna’s transformation has not gone unnoticed in his community. He has been financed by Amica to put up a permanent house for his family which is near completion. Its construction started in November last year and the progress made so far is mesmerizing.
Inspired by his progress, several farmers have followed his lead and joined Amica Sacco. Many now credit the Sacco for helping them start businesses, build sustainable homes and generally gain control over their finances and their future. Mukuna therefore urges his friends and neighbours who have not yet joined Amica Sacco to do so. “None of them should miss out on the amazing products Amica has to offer,” he observes.
Through its focus on education, transparency and community-based support, Amica Sacco has become more than just a financial institution to Mukuna. It has been a bridge from struggle to opportunity, from uncertainty to a future full of possibilities.
