Numa's Journey

It all began..

Our journey began in 1995,when the Founder, Mr. Robert Matsiko was retrenched from his job at the Ministry of Agriculture where he had worked for 5 Years, he was given a small severance package of Shs.140,000. He started working as a poultry assistant and noticed a significant problem: farmers lacked access to affordable animal feed.

He partnered with a colleague & fabricator Francis Nuwarimpa, who built a small milling machine, enabling them to begin producing various animal feeds in a rented space. The business was named "NUMA," derived from the first two letters of their last names.

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After two years, Mr. Nuwarimpa opted out to focus on his fabrication business, leaving Mr. Matsiko to navigate the venture alone. Recognizing increasing demand & tasks, Mr. Matsiko hired two employees to assist with operations.

Due to financial limitations, he established a small wooden structure to serve as both office and factory in Kabwohe. In 1997, together with his wife Mrs. Mercy Matsiko, he formally registered the business as Numa Feeds Limited to secure financial support.

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Just as the business was beginning to gain momentum, disaster struck in 2000—a fire razed the structure to the ground, wiping out everything.

Undeterred, Robert found hope in his wife’s savings from a small secretarial bureau she operated. With her support, he rebuilt to a semi permanent structure now reinforced with iron sheets and expanded operations, venturing more into brooding chicks for farmers.

A pivotal moment came unexpectedly when Mr. Matsiko ate sandy millet bread (Karo) in a restaurant in Kampala, sparking an idea—he could produce a higher-quality millet flour for consumers.

He reached out to Mr. Nuwarimpa again to fabricate another milling machine, specifically flour. To ensure quality, he enlisted traditionally experienced women to hand-sort the millet before milling.

During this time, packaging was a challenge. With limited resources, Robert purchased paper from Kampala, designed labels using pre-inked screens, & manually glued them onto packets. Despite these hurdles, Numa’s reputation for quality and innovation continued to grow.

Mr. Matsiko was then introduced to Enterprise Uganda, through UNDP where he received entrepreneurship training that refined his business acumen. With a clearer vision and mission, the company was strategically steered toward sustainable growth.

This engagement also facilitated connection with Microfinance Support Center for financing, which played a role in supporting the enterprise’s expansion to a fully permanent Factory building.

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Numa's operations have since expanded to a larger, well-equipped factory, driven by the consistently growing demand for the high-quality products. The company has also upgraded its machinery on the factory premises from using rudimentary techniques to state-of-the-art machinery in efforts to maintain the quality consistence that its consumers have come to expect.

Beyond business, Numa became increasingly aware of the malnutrition affecting communities, particularly children and mothers. Recognizing this urgent need, the Company diversified its product range to include highly nutritious soya composite products aimed at combating malnutrition.

This shift transformed Numa from a mere business into a social enterprise dedicated to improving lives.

The enterprise has played a key role in improvement of income and food security at household level through provision of employment opportunities, especially for the youth and women and has trained them to improve on their skills and equip them with knowledge.

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Today, Numa Feeds collaborates with 300 farmer groups, providing essential agricultural training in agronomy, post-harvest handling, value addition, group dynamics, and leadership skills. The company partners with stakeholders to supply farming inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, drying stalls, tarpaulins, and bicycles, significantly improving productivity and incomes at the household level.