Written By | Joshua Nahamya
Roland Amiina, University Graduate populary known as Mr Fly keeping black soldier flies in Sheema district. [Photo: Joshua Nahamya]
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Roland Amiina, a recent graduate of Ankole Western University with a National Diploma in Animal Production and Management, is tackling two of Uganda's biggest challenges: youth unemployment and organic waste management. Nicknamed "Mr. Fly" by his peers, Amiina found his calling in a unique, niche and lucrative yet highly profitable business venture—black soldier fly farming. This unique agribusiness enterprise, operating from Kabwohe Sheema, has earned him the popular nickname “Mr. Fly”. His journey began with an accidental discovery that would change the trajectory of his life.
Roland Amiina showing us some of the oil she extracts from black soldier flies
The Spark of an Idea
Amiina’s path to entrepreneurship was paved in 2025 during his second year at university. He attended a local exhibition where he intended to teach farmers about microscopy and its importance in veterinary medicine. It was there that he came across a startling sight. “Incidentally, I found a person in the exhibition that had black soldier flies in one cage and some chicken,’ Roland recalled. “Immediately I picked interest that if I can start the same entrepreneur business, then advance with my innovative skills and talent... then I can grow big because it is not the common business in our locality.”
Inspired by this chance encounter and guided by the mentorship of Innocent Bigirwa, an alumnus of Ankole Western University, Amiina returned to his hostel with a new mission. He was determined to launch his own project, not just as a business, but as a solution to Uganda's looming environmental crisis and the widespread challenge of youth unemployment.
Roland Amiina with his other employees in a green house where they keep black soldier flies. [Photo: Joshua Nahamya]
A Humble Beginning
Starting a business as a student with limited funds was a daunting task. Amiina’s initial capital came from an unlikely source. As a leader of the patriotism club at his university, he received a transport refund of Shs 500,000 from President Museveni after a two-week training session. He wisely saved Shs 200,000 to kick-start his waste recycling project.
“You know, as a student, I never had much money, so my initial capital was Shs 200,000,” he explained. With this modest sum, he purchased his first batch of black soldier fly pupa from Bigirwa and a cage, setting up his operation in a corner of his hostel room. Despite facing criticism from fellow students who questioned why he was rearing houseflies,” Amiina remained steadfast in his vision. ‘As a vision bearer, I knew my agenda very well... that's why I had to persist,” he asserted. His family, recognizing the project’s potential, later provided additional support, with his sister contributing Shs 300,000 to the growing business.
Roland Amiina's entire farm
A farm of many value added products
Amiina’s black soldier fly farm, now a demonstration site for learners and farmers, is a hub of innovation. The flies’ larvae, which feed voraciously on organic waste, serve as the foundation for a range of valuable products.
Protein-Rich Feeds: The dry pupae are a highly nutritious feed for animals like fish, chickens, and dogs. They are packed with protein and essential amino acids, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional feeds like soybeans and sunflowers. Roland believes this can help farmers reduce costs while ensuring their animals receive proper nutrition. “The dry pupa is a delicious meal rich in proteins that can be served to animals like dogs, cats, fish instead of people going for soya beans, sun flowers” he said
Market
The demand of black soldier fly products is high. “For example now I have an order where I have partially served 500 pupas and don’t have what to supply anymore. This means we who are in this business we can’t satisfy our customers” That’s why I want to expand my farm so that I am in position to satisfy the market,” Amiina stated.
His target customers are farmers, cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies. “Any farmer is my customer, then the pharmaceutical companies and cosmetics, because of the oil I am extracting from the dry black soldier fly lava which contains lyric acid and cap lyric acid used to kill some pathogens like cancer cells, bacteria, fungi, and some few viruses, because those acids are very essential in killing some microorganisms. That is why you see most of the birds which feed our products; they have rare cases of disease infestation at the farm. We also get some amino acids that can be used as animal supplements”
“I'm still selling locally but I need to register a company and expand to start selling internationally,” Amiina said
Some of the black soldier flies, where Roland Amiina has got hopes of surviving job seeking after graduation. [Photo: Joshua Nahamya]
Challenges and aspirations
Despite his success, Roland faces significant challenges. He lacks the necessary machinery to process his products on-site, forcing him to incur high transportation costs. He also needs to expand his farm's footprint, as he currently operates from a friend's property. Securing a permanent location is his primary goal.
“All the pellets, the granules, even the powder, I get, I don't have the machine to make them from my farm, I have to transport them elsewhere, where they crush them to get all those products. In so doing I incur a lot of costs in transport and paying for the machines to turn the pupa into productive valuable end products,” he said
Looking ahead, Amiina is brimming with ambition. He aims to transform his small farm into a fully-fledged agricultural learning and innovation centre. His ultimate goal is to inspire and train other young people, showing them that jobs aren't just found in offices. “To the youth, I encourage you to start small to grow big because your attitude can determine your attitude,” he advised. “Jobs are there...the problem is the mindset.”
Amiina’s dream is to raise over one billion Ugandan shillings to build a state-of-the-art facility, complete with greenhouses, processing machines, and a power station. He wants to create a secure, productive environment where he can employ over 20 staff and satisfy the growing market demand for his products.
“Currently it has turned into a demo farm for people and learners to know how black soldier flies look, can be grazed and know whether they are useful to our communities. At first, people could ask why I am keeping flies that spread trachoma to the community, and upon visiting my farm, they discovered that they are imported black soldier flies and grazed to treat and reduce generated garbage in our communities,” Amiina noted
He has managed to sensitise farmers through radio talk shows about black soldier flies, and how significant they are to their communities especially municipalities and cities, where they have a lot of waste polluting our environment.
Different types of waste to feed his black soldier flies at larvea stage
Unemployment
“To the youth I encourage you to start small to grow big because your attitude can determine your altitude. Many people in Uganda, especially the youth, complain that there are no jobs but I want to challenge you that jobs are there. I request the fellow youth to have the courage to start and keep focused to grow big,” Amiina said
Amiina’s journey from a curious student to an innovative entrepreneur demonstrates that with vision and courage, it's possible to solve community problems while building a successful business.
“Black soldier flies are multipurpose; they can even help to pollinate plants by transporting the pollen grains from one crop to another. So when you rear black soldier flies from a greenhouse, still you can grow fruits like watermelon, passion fruits, and flowers among others which can do well because of the waste and pollination complement.” Amiina noted
Return of investment
Amiina said that he invested less compared to what he is getting from his farm now. “For example I'm selling eggs of black soldier fly and one gram (a tea spoon), I sell it at Shs 25,000. And one tea spoon of eggs contains five kilograms of lava. And when I'm to sell the pupa, one kilogram is at Shs 30,000 and can give you 1,000 black soldier flies in your cage. And for the larvae, a kilogram is at Shs 20,000 to the farmers”
“I received Shs 20,000 in March 2025 from a group of people that had come to see how I rear the black soldier flies that I used to buy troughs to feed my insects. Then recently, the university supported me to exhibit my products in Mbarara.” Amiina stated
Production
When it’s a dry season, and they are fed well during their youth stage, very active and less stressed, each fly in its lifetime, it can give you between 500-800 eggs. Then for the oil, from 4 kilograms of dry lava you get 250 grams of the black soldier fly oil. It is very expensive, like 250 grams can be bought at Shs 100,000 because it has a lot of ingredients within it which are needed outside.” Amiina noted
Checking on black soldier flies hutching
Call for support
“If the government can help to transport the garbage to my farm, I can help to reduce that organic waste that is becoming a problem to the communities because for us here we minimize the smell through indigenous micro-organisms. One kilogram of larvae to be produced, they will have consumed about 4 kilograms of organic waste. So if you have 1000 kilograms of lava, they will consume 4 tons of organic waste,” Amiina said
“I also have little knowledge about black soldier flies, so if more literature and studies can be produced about black soldier flies to improve on our skills and science about them to make this project more resourceful and lucrative in our community”.
He also expounded on the issue of lack of funds to expand his farm. “Whoever is there and can pick interest to help me to move to another stage. I need like 10 green houses because the one where I am working from I am renting it, and I need money to set up the structures like the store and office at the farm where I can keep my farm records. I also need to fence my farm; a farm without security stands a risk to enemies and thieves. I also need a drier for drying the larvae to be able to supply to my customers in time. I also need a power station at my farm because currently I don’t have any source of power and CCTV cameras at my farm. With such support, I will be good to move on, so in total I need about Shs 1 billion to improve my black soldier fly farm”
Future plans
“In 5 years to come, I expect to have an agricultural learning and innovation centre purposely to benefit the citizens in this country”
Some of the solid waste uses to feed his black soldier larvae
Authority/regulation
To start black soldier fly farm, you need to have a legal document permitting you to do business. There is what we call invasive alien species. To bring something new in the community or country, you must at least have legal documentation to accept that a specie, animal, insect or crop you are bringing within the country it has no harm to the country and in case it does, you must have provided the solution for it”
“On taxation, I only pay taxes only maybe when people are making orders, they send me money through mobile money where some tax is being deducted, or even when I am paying some products I pay value added tax (VAT) other than that nobody has ever come around to tax my business”
Black soldier flies are imported from countries with tropical climates. For one to start black soldier fly business, one needs between Shs 150,000-200,000 to start with a kilogram of pupa, at Shs 30,000, and then you buy a net at Shs 80,000 as you expand the farm.
Torch Media Africa
