Is it better to start a business in Uganda than in Kenya? Well, Amos Njuguna Ndung’u is a Kenyan-born businessman who runs a successful construction company in Uganda.
In an interview with Chams Media’s Daring Abroad, Ndung’u revealed he left his village in Naivasha in 2003 to further his studies in Uganda.
After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, efforts to secure a job bore no fruits prompting him to try his hand at entrepreneurship.
“I came to study Computer Science after I finished my form four exams. However, I did not get a job after my studies because the computer science field was quite new, and there were very few employers. So I decided to venture into business,’’ he said.
He started with small businesses, including printing, before partnering with his two friends to start a construction company that presently operates under the name Bidii Sitewise in Kampala.
“We all met here in Uganda and decided to venture into construction works in 2012. Our first entrance into the construction industry was the telecommunication services, and it was at a time when 3G network was coming into the market so there was a big need for fibre laying services,” he stated.
Ndung’u says Uganda has a favorable business environment compared to Kenya. He notes that the tax body is flexible, and the government does not have strict measures that hinder business expansion, especially startups.
According to him, Uganda has many unexploited opportunities in various sectors, including real estate, manufacturing, and farming, which Kenyan investors can tap into.
“I can tell people to come and venture into the construction industry here because it is not exploited enough. Also, there is land. If you want to do farming, you can still come and start your business here.”
“If you want to do real estate, like selling houses, you can still do well here because the market is unexplored. Other businesses that are doing well are grains, foodstuff, and clothing,” he explained.
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He, however, notes that the workforce in Uganda is inexperienced, a challenge that forced him to do in-house training for his employees to deliver the desired results.
Ndung’u says many businesses in Kenya, especially startups go belly up due to strict government policies.
“Kenya can become a better place for business if the tax body in Kenya can improve and stop harassing businessmen, especially startups because when you are a startup, you are bound to make mistakes and learn from them,” he added.
