Our Values / philosophy

  • As a company we act as one family, with solidarity and mutual respect. We are happy employees.
  • We share the pride of working for a company with a social mission at heart.
  • Integrity is the key value in how we treat each other, our suppliers, our customers and our stakeholders at large.
 

The team

Laurent Demuynck Founder & CEO

Laurent Demuynck

Founder & CEO

Laurent Demuynck came to Rwanda in 2009 to modernize the mushroom industry and make available mushrooms’ nutritional riches for all Rwandans.

Before founding Kigali Farms, he was previously CEO of Brewery Ommegang, a high-end microbrewery in Upstate New York, crafting authentic Belgian-style ales that were distributed throughout the USA. Before that, Laurent held sales and marketing positions within the internet and medical device industries in the U.S.

Laurent has an MBA from Stanford University, a Master’s in International Relations and a Master’s Degree in Ingénieur Commercial, both from Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Laurent’s favorite mushroom dish: Blended mushroom-beef burger

Elisabeth Bulcke Chief Operating Officer

Elisabeth Bulcke

Chief Operating Officer

Elisabeth joined Kigali Farms as Chief Operating Officer in 2019. An important focus of her will be to further roll out  the Tree Oyster mushroom deployment project and further increase the social impact of Kigali Farms.

Before joining Kigali Farms, she worked in Rwanda as project manager for Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency through which she worked with micro and small enterprises in rural Rwanda to grow and become more sustainable.

Elisabeth’s favorite mushroom dish is Mushroom pasta.

Ariane Mukeshimana Quality Manager

Ariane Mukeshimana

Quality Manager

Ariane has been with Kigali Farms since 2012. Her goal is make sure that Kigali Farms’ products are the best in Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region.

She has been instrumental in Kigali Farms getting and maintaining HACCP and S-Mark quality certifications issued by the Rwanda Standards Board. Ariane is also eager to see Kigali Farms extend its market through manufactured and processed mushroom products in the near future.

Ariane holds an Engineering degree in Industry and Food Safety from Caddi Ayandi, Morocco.

Ariane's favorite mushroom dish: Mushroom Quiche

Delphine Tuyisenge Production Plant Manager - Byumba

Delphine Tuyisenge

Production Plant Manager - Byumba

Delphine has been production manager of the Byumba production plant since October 2018.

She is in charge of substrate production and cultivation of tree oyster mushrooms. 

Delphine has a bachelors degree in Crop production and Horticulture from NUR Butare.

Her favourite mushroom dish is Creamy Mushroom soup.

Ange Dushimimana Sales Manager

Ange Dushimimana

Sales Manager

Ange Dushimimana Joined Kigali farms February 2018 as a sales representative. She is now our Sales Manager.

Her goal is to ensure the sales satisfaction of our customers, timely deliveries and to expand Kigali farms' markets within East African and worldwide. She holds a bachelor degree in sales and financial management at KIM university.

Ange's favorite mushroom dish is mushroom omelette.

Christian Ndazigaruye Outreach and training manager Musanze

Christian Ndazigaruye

Outreach and training manager Musanze

Christian is the manager of Outreach and Training in Musanze, specializing in education and training mushroom growers. He works to improve the well-being of rural Rwanda by making mushrooms a staple food for the communities through growing mushrooms.

He also aims to develop the mushroom industry through capacity development, affordable growing technology and by enabling out-growers to make informed entrepreneurial decisions when it comes to their farms.

Christian is an agronomist trained at E.A.Fo – Nyamishaba and holds an undergraduate degree in Agriculture, specializing in Crop Production from ISAE-Busogo. He is a Farmer Field School (FFS) Master Trainer.

Christian's favorite mushroom is Mushroom Soup.

Clementine Ingabire Ndagije Spawn Laboratory Manager

Clementine Ingabire Ndagije

Spawn Laboratory Manager

Tina has been the Spawn Laboratory Managerat Kigali Farms since January 2019.

She is in charge of all tree oyster mushroom spawn production at our laboratory in Musanze. The spawn is used to make mushroom substrates that we use in all our tree oyster mushroom cultivation. Her aim is to ensure quality mushroom spawn and substrates are available to all Rwandans who want to grow mushrooms in their homes.

Tina holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Biotechnology from MIU (Manipal International University), Malaysia.

Tina's favourite mushroom dish is mushroom Croquettes.

Joseph RUSIRIBA Growing & Hygiene Manager

Joseph RUSIRIBA

Growing & Hygiene Manager

Joseph is the Growing & Hygiene Manager in Kigali Farms since 2016.

His work includes climate control to be sure that relative humidity, CO2 concentration, room air, compost temperatures and Hygiene in growing rooms around the factory are maintained at the highest quality and production standards.

Joseph is a horticultural engineer.

Joseph's favourite mushroom dish is mushroom soup.

Pélagie NYIRANDIKUMANA Harvest, packing and logistics manager

Pélagie NYIRANDIKUMANA

Harvest, packing and logistics manager

Pelagie is the harvest, packing and logistics manager at our Musanze mushroom production plant.

She has extensive experience growing mushrooms since 1996.

Pelagie supervises harvest insuring timely and quality mushrooms are harvested. She also oversees packaging and logistics to ensure that all processes are respected according to Pre Requisite Programs (PRP). She is also in charge of insuring safety and quality at the mushroom growing site.

Pelagie's favourite mushroom dish mushroom’s brochettes.

Oscar Ntihuga Substrate production & Processing Manager

Oscar Ntihuga

Substrate production & Processing Manager

Oscar is the manager of compost production (mushroom substrate) and the processing unit of our Musanze production plant. He has been part of the Kigali Farms family since January 2017. 
His goal is to make Kigali Farms the first best mushroom Company in the Sub-Saharan Africa through the quality of fresh mushrooms and the processed Mushroom (Canned, Powder and Dried mushrooms).

Oscar holds a state Engineers degree in Biology, specializing in Quality Control and Analysis, from the Djillali Liabes University in Algeria and a Master’s degree in WASH from 2IE(Burkina Faso).


Oscar’s favorite mushroom dish is Mushroom pizza.

Lamberte Mukazana Senior Accountant

Lamberte Mukazana

Senior Accountant

Lamberte joined Kigali Farms in 2011. As our senior accountant, she is in charge of keeping Kigali Farms finances in order. 

Lamberte's favourite mushroom dish is mushroom soup.

Eric NZAYISENGA Junior Accountant

Eric NZAYISENGA

Junior Accountant

Eric joined Kigali Farms in November 2016 as a Junior Accountant. His vision is to better implement all his responsibilities especially those related to his post. He applies all the accounting principles for the purpose of managing efficiently both financial and physical property for Kigali Farms.

Eric hold a Bachelor degree in  accounting School of Finance and Banking Rwanda.

Eric's favourite mushroom dish is Mushroom Brochettes.

Antoine Nsengimana Sales Assistant

Antoine Nsengimana

Sales Assistant

Antoine joined Kigali Farms in October 2012 as a sales assistant.

His work includes ensurings timely deliveries  of Kigali Farms' products to all clients and retailers. He also manages our stock. Antoine has an advanced level certificate in Human sciences from College APECOM in Gakenke.

His favourite mushroom dish is mushroom samosas.

 

Milestones

Launched operations in Rwanda

2010

Started substrate production of Tree Oyster mushrooms in Rwanda

2011

Began cultivating Tree Oyster mushrooms

2011

Began cultivation of white button mushroom

July 2016

HACCP(RS 184:2013) certification for Byumba production plant operations for fresh Tree Oyster mushrooms and Substrates.

March 2016

Began mushroom exports to Kenya and Uganda

March 2017

HACCP(RS 184:2013) certification for Musanze production plant operations for fresh Button, Cremini and Portobello mushrooms.

June 2017

S Mark(RS EAS 56:2000) certification for Musanze Production plant operations for fresh Button, Cremini and Portobello mushrooms.

December 2017

Started the Tree Oyster mushroom deployment project to fight malnutrition in Northern and Western Rwanda by helping rural families grow, eat and market tree oyster mushrooms.

2018
Our journey continues
 

Kigali Farms by the numbers

27

Contract employees

113

Casual workers

49 %

Female

51 %

Male

74 %

Young (under 35)