16/03/2013
The Self Made Billionaire Behind Afya Juice & Kevian Kenya
He tried his luck in the political arena when he run for a parliamentary seat but it didn’t work out in 1992. Mr Rugendo then opted to focus on his family business- Kevian Kenya- as its managing director.
The success story behind Kevian Kenya which has become a household name thanks to Afya Juice and Peek n’ Peel.
How did Kevian Kenya Came to be?
In 1992, after failing to capture the Lang’ata parliamentary seat, he set out to build his company, Kevian Kenya whose first product was drinking water — Mt Kenyan. The company targeted
Mombasa tourist hotels as its main market with limited supply of the product to a few restaurants and supermarkets in Nairobi.
What hurdles did he encounter in the past?
In the past mineral water was not very popular in the coast region which was a major setback for Kevian Kenya and its founder. Also in 1999 the Likoni clashes slowed down the tourism industry at the Coast affecting the mineral water business adversely.
How did get to a breakthrough to making Kevian A success story?
“We looked at what we had and the raw material we had was water,” Said Mr Rugendo’s wife, Helen Kimani. This got the company thinking on how it would add value to the water. Kevian has since transformed itself into a whole fruit juice company with two plants, one on Ngong Road and the other in Thika, established in 2005. It also launched two strong juice brands — Pick ‘N’ Peel and Afia.
How did they manage to beat their competitors in the ‘juice’ industry?
After a survey, they discovered a big difference between local juices and those offered in other markets. The supermarket shelves were dominated with squash — juice made from artificial fruit flavours and colourings. Helen as a mother she could not give her sons these juices since they did not have any nutritional value. Together with a multinational company Kevian Kenya had been dealing with, they ventured into whole fruit juice production, becoming the first local company to package the product in Tetra Pak.
Some of the problems they had to deal with?
The use of plastic bottles to package their products since they interfered with the taste of the juice. In 2004, the company changed the packaging of Afia to PET bottles, rebranded it and the product started flying off the shelves.
What has Kevian contributed to the society?
Since it expanded, the company is working to establish a direct link with the farmers. “Before it was a challenge, because we had a small production capacity. At the end of 2011, we completed an ultra modern production line,” says Ms Kimani.
Last words?
Consumers like to experiment with new products, but they want quality. “Contrary to believe, Kenyans are very supportive of local brands,” says Ms Kimani.
