Food can lose much of its value when it cannot be cooled, stored, or transported properly after harvest. For smallholder farmers, limited access to refrigeration can make the journey from farm to market particularly difficult, especially when milk, fish and fresh produce must be moved across long distances. Cold-chain infrastructure can therefore play an important role in reducing post-harvest losses and protecting the income generated from agricultural production.

Savanna Circuit is a Kenyan AgriTech company that manufactures and distributes last-mile solar chilling and on-transit systems. Alongside its cooling technology, the company offers an AI-enabled Dairy Management System for dairy businesses and cooperatives. Savanna’s solutions have improved the incomes and livelihoods of more than 6,000 smallholder dairy farmers across Kenya.

Starting With the Farm

Savanna Circuit was founded in 2017 by Percy Lemtukei and Emmastella Gakuo after the two met at the University of Nairobi. Their early work focused on the challenges facing smallholder farmers and the need for cooling systems that could operate closer to the point of production. The company developed a solar-powered milk-chilling system that could be used during transportation, including on motorbikes and trucks.

The company’s research and development phase also examined dairy, fish and solar cooling applications. Its first hybrid milk chiller was deployed in 2020, followed by distribution to farmers and partnerships intended to extend access. Savanna Circuit has since expanded its portfolio beyond its original milk-chilling system into a wider range of cold-chain and agricultural processing products.

Solar Cooling for the Last Mile

Savanna Circuit’s SOLAR THRIVE collection includes portable solar cooling products designed for agricultural use. It includes Nomad Cans in 10-liter, 25-liter and 50-liter capacities, as well as ice water dispensers and other cooling systems. The company also offers MaziwaPlus prechillers, hybrid and solar bulk milk chillers, pasteurizers and processing equipment.

The last-mile focus addresses a specific gap in agricultural supply chains. Farmers do not always have access to centralized refrigeration immediately after production, and transporting milk or other perishable products without adequate cooling can lead to losses before they reach processors or buyers. Savanna Circuit’s systems are designed to bring cooling closer to farms and collection routes. The company describes its products as part of a wider effort to address food loss across dairy, horticulture and fish value chains.

Adding AI to Dairy Management

Physical cooling is only one part of Savanna Circuit’s offering. The company also provides an AI-enabled Dairy Management System designed for dairy businesses and cooperatives. Digital management tools can give operators information about milk collection and other aspects of dairy operations, adding a data layer to the company’s physical cold-chain systems.

Savanna Circuit also uses IoT and cloud-based technologies across its solutions. The company’s wider product strategy includes solar cooling, data and agricultural services rather than refrigeration equipment alone. This gives it the ability to work across different stages of an agricultural value chain, from collection and transportation to cooling, processing and management.

Expanding Access for Farmers

Savanna Circuit has worked with farmers, processors, cooperatives and microenterprises as it expands its cold-chain products. Its financing options include Cooling as a Service, lease programs and hybrid financing, giving agricultural businesses alternatives to purchasing equipment outright. The company also provides training and field services around its systems.

Access is particularly relevant for smallholder producers, where the upfront cost of refrigeration equipment can make adoption difficult. Savanna Circuit has continued to develop portable and modular products alongside financing options intended to make cooling more accessible. Its recent work also extends beyond dairy, with customized solar cooling solutions for horticulture and fish value chains.

Savanna Circuit’s work reflects a wider need for cold-chain infrastructure designed around African agricultural conditions. The company has moved from a solar milk-chilling concept into a broader portfolio covering cooling, transportation, processing and digital dairy management. Its focus remains on bringing refrigeration and related services closer to producers while giving agricultural businesses additional tools for managing perishable products.

ABOUT | PERCY LEMTUKEI

Percy Lemtukei is the founder and CEO of Savanna Circuit Tech Ltd, a Kenyan AgriTech company focused on solar-powered cold-chain and agricultural management systems. He co-founded the company with Emmastella Gakuo in 2017 and has been involved in developing its solar chilling and agricultural technology solutions.

Lemtukei studied Informatics at Rongo University College and later pursued studies at the University of Nairobi, which is listed on his current LinkedIn profile. Before focusing on Savanna Circuit, he worked as a systems administrator for the County Government of West Pokot. His work with Savanna Circuit has included solar cooling, cold-chain systems and technology designed for smallholder agricultural value chains.