Amid stiff competition and supply constraints in Kenya’s milling sector, the Nairobi Flour Mills, the manufacturer of Jimbi has been advertised for sale.
Nairobi Flour Mills, which was known for its brands Jimbi Maize and Wheat flour, closed its facilities in 2021.
In an advertisement, the company made public its intention to sell its assets including a plant, various machinery, equipment and land and invited interested buyers for contact.
The assets advertised for sale include a 0.561 acres land and another one measuring 0.563 along Homa Bay Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.
NFM also specified that its assets consisted of a milling plant, go downs, and office spaces.
As per the advert, a functioning milling plant from Buhler, a renowned manufacturer of milling machines from Germany, is also part of the assets set for disposal as well as packaging machines formerly used for the company’s operations.
In total, the milling machinery owned by the company had the capacity of processing some 225 Tonnes of grain in 24 hours.
Despite having not disclosed the value of the assets put up for sale, it has emerged that the company has placed an asking price of Ksh400 million, as reported by the Business Daily.
How Jimbi started
Its history dates back to the colonial era and had been in existence for over 60 years.
Throughout its existence, Nairobi Flour Mills grew to become an established brand with its Jimbi products becoming a household name known for its maize and wheat unga.
Nairobi Flour Mills Limited commenced in 1949 as a small-scale grain miller along the Haile Selassie Avenue.
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It would later move to its current location in Industrial Area in 1957, setting up stage for expansion and growth.
The brand name “Jimbi” was first introduced as a maize flour in 1967 and later introduced its wheat flour in subsequent years.
By then, Jimbi was only Kenya’s second established brand in the milling sector.
Over the years, the company invested in packaging and other hygiene machines that contributed to its growth and preference in the Kenya market.
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Besides maize and wheat flour sales, the family-owned company had also ventured into manufacturing packaging bags, animal feeds, and insurance.
Challenges facing millers in Kenya
But stiff competition in the industry and factors including the Covid-19 pandemic and reduced maize production in the country have affected players in the sector.
With new players coming in, former big names in the milling sector including Rafiki Millers have been forced out of the market.
In January, the Competition Authority of Kenya okayed a move by Kitui Millers, the manufacturer of Dola brands, to acquire Rafiki Millers.
Consequently, the Dola manufacturer asserted its dominance in Kenya’s milling sector.
