When Margaret Kigozi inherited 300 acres of land following her husband’s passing, she saw a rare opportunity to build something enduring. She established Zuri Model Farm, a pioneering agricultural venture 50 kilometres outside Kampala. Spanning nearly 230 football fields, the farm is aptly named Zuri, meaning beautiful in Swahili, as it embodies the beauty of sharing: Sharing knowledge, skill, and support.
Kigozi’s life story is deeply intertwined with the land she now nurtures. She was born into a Ugandan family with strong agricultural roots, with her father being a coffee farmer. Educated at Makerere University, one of Africa’s most prestigious institutions, Margaret initially pursued a career in medicine. As a physician, she served in Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda and later took on influential public roles, including a decade-long tenure at the Uganda Investment Authority. These experiences equipped her with invaluable leadership and business skills that would later become instrumental in her agricultural pursuits.
In 2012, Kigozi began her agricultural journey with maise and soybeans, but the results were disappointing. Undeterred, she recognised the growing need for food during the COVID-19 lockdowns and expanded her farm to include crops like cassava and sweet potatoes. This early perseverance laid the foundation for her broader vision of sustainable agriculture.
At the heart of Zuri Model Farm lies a commitment to sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Kigozi employs intercropping—a method where multiple crops are grown together on the same plot of land. This technique maximises land efficiency, enhances soil health, boosts biodiversity, and improves crop yields.
Kigozi has carefully chosen crop combinations that benefit from each other’s growth cycles and nutrient needs. For instance, she pairs legumes with cereals to naturally increase soil nitrogen levels, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers. Fast-growing cover crops are also planted to protect the soil from erosion and outcompete weeds. This diversified approach has cultivated a resilient farming system less vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Beyond the farm’s boundaries, Kigozi’s methods have set a standard for farmers throughout the region. The biodiversity promoted by her intercropping techniques has transformed Zuri Model Farm into a sanctuary for pollinators, including bees and butterflies, essential to the broader ecosystem. Moreover, her farm contributes to climate change mitigation efforts by sequestering carbon in the soil.
Margaret Kigozi
“It’s a real shame that people lack food in a country with fertile soils and conducive weather.”
But Kigozi’s ambitions extend far beyond growing crops. In a country where nearly three in ten children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, she has made food security her mission. According to the 2022 Global Hunger Index, the situation in Uganda is classified as “serious”. A UN World Food Program report indicated that approximately 16.5 million Ugandans faced food insecurity as of January 2023. “It’s a real shame that people lack food in a country with fertile soils and conducive weather,” Kigozi observes. The farm’s innovative practices demonstrate how farming can be adapted to meet modern challenges, ensuring sustainability while addressing food scarcity.
Bonny Johnson, the manager of Zuri Model Farm, emphasises the importance of these sustainable practices. “Achieving food security requires innovative approaches,” he explains. “By using intercropping techniques and recycling organic matter like dry banana leaves, we enrich the soil and boost the productivity of our coffee trees. Additionally, harvesting rainwater during the dry season ensures our farming remains sustainable even in challenging conditions.”
The vision of Zuri Model Farm goes beyond agriculture; it is a beacon of community support, particularly for women. The farm employs dozens of women on long-term contracts, with many others working as casual labourers during peak seasons. These women perform crucial tasks such as pruning, weeding, and harvesting.
Zulaina Kyokushaba, a mother of seven, works in the “mother garden” at Zuri Model Farm, where she helps cultivate plants specifically for propagation. Reflecting on her experience, Zulaina says: “I now believe that one day I can also establish my own farm, employ others, help the community, and earn money.” The farm provides immediate employment and inspires long-term aspirations among the women who work there.
Adding value to raw agricultural products is another critical focus at Zuri Model Farm. By transforming primary crops into higher-value products, Kigozi increases farm revenue and creates new jobs for the community. The farm has become a destination for agricultural tourism, offering educational tours and workshops that further extend its impact.
Kigozi’s commitment to community development is also evident in her personal conservation efforts. Partnering with the Uganda National Forest Authority, she collects and distributes seedlings to residents, teaching them how to replant forests decimated by fuel harvesting. These efforts are beginning to bear fruit as wildlife like monkeys and diverse bird species return to the rejuvenated forests.
A staunch advocate for women’s rights, Kigozi is also a driving force behind Akina Mama wa Africa, a pan-African organisation dedicated to women’s leadership and policy advocacy. She proudly identifies as both a farmer and a feminist, believing that education and economic independence are the cornerstones of agency. “Pursue education whenever the opportunity arises,” she advises the women of the region.
As for lessons learned, an important one for Kigozi is patience. “You need to be aware of uncertainties,” she says. For example, she anticipated a good mango harvest this season, only for the young flowers to be blown away by winds and heavy rains. “But you don’t give up because you know next season can be better,” she adds.
The knowledge that things can be better is the essence of patience. Margaret Kigozi’s story is not just one of personal achievement but also of using her privileged background to create opportunities for others. “The lives I have touched are my legacy,” says Kigozi. Her journey from medicine to agriculture is a testament to how access and opportunity can be leveraged for the greater good. By transforming her inherited land into a sustainable farming enterprise, Kigozi has created jobs and built a model of agricultural resilience that benefits her entire community.
This article is part of The Niles Issue #19, The Feminine & The Nile, produced by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) with financial support from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). It is part of the initiative The Niles: Strengthening Media Capacities and Networks in the Nile Basin, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA). The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of SIWI, GIZ, the German Federal Foreign Office, or MiCT.
