Extend top company awards beyond Kenya,  past winners advice

The top 100 mid-sized companies survey should be extended beyond Kenya’s borders to ensure that participants grow from small to large firms, past winners have said.

Pharmaken Ltd chief executive officer Samier Murravejj, Professional Clean Care Ltd founder Betty Wanyoike and Software Technologies founder Kyoti Mukherjee say the initiative has now grown into a major brand that has helped the owners determine who to do deal with.

“The Business Daily-KPMG Top 100 Mid-sized Companies Award is a strong and respected brand since its main punchline is good corporate governance and responsible citizenship for economic growth of the countries we operate in,” said Dr Muravejj, a dentist-cum aeronautical engineer who opted to venture in entrepreneurship.

Mrs Wanyoike said her company’s growth included a grand entry into Rwanda and Uganda as the first runner’s up position gave her firm international recognition.

“Companies want to do business with responsible firms that have proof of making social impacts in the markets they operate in,” she said.

Mrs Mukherjee said her company had an easy time attracting new business while old clients enjoyed renewed confidence, thanks to the award.

She said expansion of the initiative to new markets would give Kenyan companies an easier time when introducing their products and services across the region.

The trio had one message to entrepreneurs: once a company has grown into a multi-million entity, they should let the staff manage it while they sit back and strategise on future growth.

“If you are the one who still carries the office keys and the cheque book, that business will  never grow. Go on holiday and let the firm run in your absence,” said Mrs Wanyoike.

The CEO of KPMG, Mr Josphat Mwaura, said a database was being developed for mid-sized companies where they would engage with one another and look into ways of growing their businesses via partnerships.

“The database will help them create networks through which they can jointly bid for multi-million-shilling contracts across the region since international companies prefer to work with firms that have clean books,” he said.

He said participating companies would have a forum to enhance their partnerships and trade with one another, thereby enhancing revenues.

Dr Murravvej said companies should also form a members’ club where investment issues are discussed among themselves, thereby helping the club access cheap funds and new investors for greater synergy.

Nation Media Group CEO Joe Muganda said their involvement was meant to grow private small and medium enterprises into multi-billion shilling businesses by exposing them to the world as honest corporate citizens with clean books.

He said investors also wanted companies with international recognition, which he said participating businesses enjoyed for associating themselves with East and Central Africa’s biggest media house.

“Our main task is to provide jobs for the millions of people joining the labour market annually, and the best way to do so is by encouraging small businesses to grow. This is best done when they spruce up their books and open them for scrutiny to suitors,” he said.

“Companies should come forward and market themselves as economy-drivers. Together we can lobby for a better business environment than when we’re apart in our small cocoons away from public scrutiny,” he added.

The ceremony held last Tuesday at Nation Centre, Nairobi, heard that the government should continue encouraging more companies to operate above board, and to honour them.