Meet Sairus Kiggundu, a young man from Uganda making an impact with ginger.

Meet Sairus Kiggundu, a young man from Uganda who has made a name for himself with one of the most popular new products on the market: ginger.

How he Started his Ginger Journey

Sairus launched his ginger farming business during a challenging time for most, the second lockdown in Uganda due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To be realistic, it hasn’t been a smooth journey. However, my enthusiasm superseded the fears and numerous challenges. In April 2021, I went back to my village and spoke to five farmers about the idea I was creating to solve the challenges the region has encountered for generations. Three farmers were intrigued and gave me 40 kgs [of ginger] for prototyping. In July 2021, I officially launched Kibajjo Enterprises and leveraged social media marketing to raise sales, which enabled us to acquire the grinding machine for production.
We generated over 300 USD in our first month’s sales despite lockdown challenges. In only eight months of operation, Kibajjo Enterprises has employed 30 women, 10 youths who wash ginger after leaving the garden, four team members, and 54 farmers registered under our fair trade cycle,” said Sairus.


About Sairus Kiggundu


Sairus Kiggundu is a young social entrepreneur, conservationist, and Agribusiness enthusiast spearheading Changing Lives of Ginger farmers in Uganda. With tremendous skills in up-cycling, agribusiness, social entrepreneurship, and innovation.



He was born in the Butambala district of Uganda to a peasant family of 8 children who depended on subsistence Ginger growing.

In 2002 an accident that occurred to his father changed his life forever.
He was only 7 years, and together with him, all the other seven siblings couldn't go to school. It was too expensive for the mother alone.

Sairus is curious and passionate about education; he did everything to afford to go to school.
He embarked on collecting and selling plastic bottles, wild fruits from natural forests and working on people's farms to raise school fees that took him up to high school.

The most challenging time was not being able to go to University due to the high cost.

That's the last push that drove him to become the change he wanted to see in his ginger-growing region.

The experience on the ground opened Sairus's eyes to the need to establish Kibajjo Ginger Enterprises. He is envisioning developing an inclusive Ginger value chain in Uganda based on: quality value addition, provision of low-interest loans, and maximizing the profits farmers earn each season to take their children to schools, build standard homes, and live decent lives.

Because of his selfless work, Sairus has received national and international recognitions, including becoming a fellow of the "2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship at Lehigh University."

Kiggundu says he wants to use his success to help other young people in his community get started in business. "I know how hard it is for young people to find jobs," he says. "And I also know that there are many talented people with great ideas who don't have money."

Kiggundu's advice for anyone looking to start their own business? Don't give up! "If you work hard and keep trying, eventually you'll find your true calling."