Eunice Muhuri, Founder and CEO of Eunitech Engineering Limited
“Although I may have wished to be the top woman contractor in the country, taking home the 1st runners up position in last year’s Woman Contractor of the Year awards was a crowning moment for me. And while I may sit and bask at the glory of my victory thus far, reminiscing on the road I have trudged on to be where I am today reveals that it has not been an easy trek. Nonetheless, I have no regrets.
Construction is a field I am deeply smitten with. In fact, from an early age, I was fascinated by technical things and well developed structures and high storey buildings. I dreamed of constructing an architectural masterpiece. After completing my A-levels at Alliance Girls High School, I joined the University of Nairobi where I studied Civil Engineering. After graduation, I was employed as a Project Manager at Naciti Engineers Limited.
Started my business
After working faithfully for seven years, I felt confident enough to venture out on my own. I had gained enough experience and learned the ropes. I was overwhelmed by the conviction that my time to soar had arrived. After admiring other contractors’ works, I’d finally have my own space to set up my own masterpieces. This moment occurred in early 2000, when I quit my job and started Eunitech Contractors Limited.
While it was a great thrill to own my own company and be my own boss, I quickly found the going very rough. Clients were hard to come by. Many of the property developers offering construction tenders that I approached were reluctant to offer me contracts simply because I was a woman. Back then, it was a common social perception that women wouldn’t accomplish certain tasks, and construction ranked high in this pile. In the same vein, getting a loan from the bank was next to impossible. Even if you presented a contract, no lender would offer you an overdraft, regardless of how loyal a customer you were.
Nevertheless, I stuck to my guns. Whenever I won a contract, I’d immediately engage in the tedious task of convincing the client to pay a deposit in order to get me going. Consequently, many clients shied away. After eight years of struggle, in 2008, lady luck finally smiled on me. I had just secured a Sh. 200 million contract to construct Apple Wood Park which is situated along Wood Avenue in Nairobi and was wondering where I’d get some capital to lay the ground work.
Breakthrough
Luckily, one of my friends introduced me to Vision Capital, a newly founded micro-finance lender. Although I didn’t have any tangible security, the financier agreed to lend me Sh. 3 million. This was the first loan I’d ever applied and successfully received. However, the capital could only afford to carry out minor ground works. Fortunately, my client agreed to meet me half way and extended a Sh. 6 million deposit. Interestingly, he pledged to work hand in hand with me until I completed the project.
From that point on, I have not looked back. I changed banks and moved to a lender who has proven willing to avail funds whenever I need to execute a financially demanding project. Currently, I have successfully constructed seven big projects which include Epren Centre, Repen Complex and Apple Park.
The future is bright
Nonetheless, my company is rated as a Class Three Contractor and can only handle projects with a maximum worth of Sh. 300 million. I am aiming to improve this standardization by climbing to Class One over the next five years. I want to start handling construction projects worth billions. I want to venture into roads construction and have already begun pitching for tenders. It may seem like a hard nut to crack, but from my experience, I believe nothing is impossible for a smart entrepreneur.
Final word
Essentially, I have learned that my ambitions and dreams shouldn’t be pulled down simply because of a social perception or because some people out there aren’t convinced that I can make it. I have learned to learn from my mistakes, to stand up when I fall, and trudge on carefully while building lasting and beneficial business relationships. I have learned the virtue of a good working relationship with my bank, from which I’ve gained a stable financial brolly for any rainy day!”