Mary Oyier, a Mombasa entrepreneur, turned her life around after the 2007/08 post-election violence by processing Kenyan tea for export. Through her company Maria Agri Products, she sells to various countries. This journey took her from major losses to significant success.
In 2007/08, Mary Oyier was among Kenyans affected by post-election violence, losing property worth over Sh1 million in her Mombasa grain business. She sold beans, maize, millet, sorghum, and wheat, with her truck transporting produce from the Rift Valley and Western Kenya. The loss led to mental distress, and she found relief through traditional remedies, particularly Kenyan Grade 1 tea mixed with herbs like baobab, basil, and moringa.
Known as Mama Amani on the Coast for promoting peace, Mary turned her experience into a business opportunity. She began value-adding Grade 1 tea by blending it with herbs and participated in the ASK Mombasa Trade and Agriculture Show with Sh5,000 capital. Her products sold out quickly, with buyers placing more orders.
Fifteen years later, she founded Maria Agri Products, a company processing Kenyan Grade 1 tea for domestic and international markets. She exports to France, Netherlands, European countries, China, Somalia, Juba-South Sudan, and Burundi. She attended the EAC MSMEs Trade Fair 2025 at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, and now offers three brands: therapeutic, Asian, and mystic.
Supported by the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA), SUN Business Network (SBN), and Global Alliance, she invested in processing equipment. She started with 20kg per month, now exceeding 300kg. She sells 500g packs for Sh1,000. The main challenge is insufficient resources to promote value-added Kenyan tea with herbs and medicines.