For many farmers in Kenya, soil testing has always meant sending samples away and waiting days or even weeks for results. By the time the feedback comes back, the planting decisions have already been made.
Rhea Soil Health Management Limited, founded by entrepreneurs Priscilla Wakarera and Soinato Leboo in 2022, is an agri-tech company focused on improving soil health management for smallholder farmers in Kenya. The company is changing how soil testing is done by bringing it directly to the farm. Using a portable, IoT-enabled soil testing device known as the Rhea Agripad, which is leased to agronomists who operate on a commission basis, an agronomist visits the farmer, conducts soil analysis on-site, and delivers results in about 15 minutes, along with a simple, practical report with recommendations based on locally available inputs. No delays. No guesswork. Just real-time soil intelligence.
In its early stages, the technology was still being refined. Over a three-year piloting phase, the team with the support of KCIC, worked to improve accuracy, strengthen efficiency, and simplify reporting so farmers could actually use the information in decision-making.
That early work has since translated into significant scale.
Rhea now operates in 15 counties across Kenya, supported by a growing operational model that includes an increase from 3 to 7 full-time employees, a network of 215 commission-based field agents, and agronomists delivering on-farm soil testing and advisory services.
Financial, technical and business advisory support from KCIC’s GreenBiz Programme helped accelerate this transition from prototype to market-ready solution.
The funding supported development of soil testing devices, sampling infrastructure, and field deployment activities. This included investment in soil sampling tools such as augers and 10,000 sampling bags to support real-world rollout.
This growth has delivered measurable impact, including the creation of 8 direct jobs, 250 indirect jobs, expansion from 1 county to 15 counties, and faster, more accessible soil decisions for farmers.
But the most important shift is not just scale, it is access.
Farmers are no longer waiting for lab results. They are getting answers in minutes, explained in a way they can act on immediately.
From Kiambu to 15 counties, from prototype to field-ready solution, Rhea is showing what happens when innovation is taken directly to the farm.