Joram Ngahu: I Quit A Driving Job To Start a Multi-Million Business

The following profile for Joram Ngahu was first published in the Daily Nation.

“Joram Ngahu would probably be at the center of his former employer’s success story if he hadn’t quit his job.

But the exposure he gathered in the vibrant tourism business and the huge amounts of returns that his boss was making challenged him to start thinking smart about his future.

At the start of his three-year employment of organizing safaris for foreign tourists visiting parks in Kenya, Mr. Ngahu knew little about the money-changing hands.

But a few months down the line, he learned a lot through experience and looked forward to the day he would make his millions.

And true to his dream, Mr. Ngahu who then worked as a driver resigned in 2002 to launch his business, Rhino Tours, which has gradually evolved into a multi-million enterprise.

Despite the rather poor perception of his maiden car, Probox, it became the trademark for his young business. The car, bought at Sh700,000, has so far seen him buy five more cars, eight years into the travel business. “I created a website and it became easier for tourists to reach me as all they needed were my contacts,” he states.

“This was better than depending on referrals from previous customers. Going online expanded my customer base,” he adds.

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But Mr. Ngahu is no longer depending entirely on the travel industry. He has diversified, investing in bigger and expensive vehicles and equipment to get a slice of the huge profits in mega capital infrastructure projects underway in the counties.

He is the man behind Ngahu Engineers Limited, a company registered in 2013. The firm leases out vehicles for use in road construction. If you are a road contractor and want tipper trucks, graders, front loaders, rollers, or any of his six double cabin cars; he is at the ready to show you how quickly he can settle your needs.

Talking about his collection of construction equipment, it comes out with so much ease and calms tempting one to conclude that acquiring them was too easy. This is not so, he notes.

“I first bought a tipper truck for Sh6 million, an amount raised through loan and savings. And it is has yielded enough to enable me to buy the other vehicles,” he says.

Mr. Ngahu who comes across as a skillful negotiator, aggressive, and optimistic businessman finds business opportunities in the increasing number of road construction projects being undertaken by county governments. At the moment, he has business agreements with Narok, Bomet, and Laikipia counties.

So, is it that easy to get business deals? “No,” Mr. Ngahu says, adding that it is very tough to get a contract since it requires a lot of negotiations. However, once you get the contract, he says, it becomes easy to sign another from the same organization or even get a referral.

As for Mr. Ngahu, he says his fees give him an edge over rivals. To hire any of his vehicles for a month, a contractor should be ready to part with between Sh600,000 and Sh1 million depending on the type of vehicle sought.

Working to his advantage is also the element that he services his vehicles regularly, he notes.

“Assuring your customers of the good state of your vehicles is one thing that builds their loyalty to your services. Nothing can kill your business as when your customers take your word for rumor,” he notes.

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